Public Access

In Ontario all public places must allow service dogs.  The handler must carry a letter from their doctor to attest to the fact that they require a service animal to help with their disability. 

Working dogs need to be able to help their handler whenever necessary and wherever they are.

Welcome sign posted at Mount Sinai Hospital.

In the hospital waiting room.

At the bank.

In the grocery store, No Frills, Aurora.

At the Hoedown!

In schools.

At the library.

At Tim Hortons.

At George Brown College.

Rules when encountering a service dog

Rules when encountering a service dog

One of the most important things a service dog needs to learn is to pay attention to their handler. A seizure can happen at any time, and therefore the dog must be alert to the handler’s needs at all times.

Please don’t distract a service dog. Distracting the dog could be quite dangerous for the handler. If the dog misses a cue, Amanda could be injured by a seizure that the dog did not intervene for.

Do not pet or talk to the dog. Most dogs will be happy to accept your attention, but should not as it interrupts their job. Do feel free to talk to the handler if you have any questions, but understand that if the conversation is taking the dog’s attention away from Amanda, she may need to cut it short and move on. Safety is the priority.

Some service dogs, for example service dogs trained for people living with autism, are meant to encourage socialization and can interact with the public—Amanda’s seizure response dogs should not.

It is crucial that Amanda’s service dog not be distracted from picking up a signal that might indicate a seizure is pending. Many well-meaning people find it hard to stop themselves from petting such a beautiful dog, but it’s important to remember that the dog is working.

Don’t worry, the dogs get playtime too, but only with Amanda. She must be the dog's focus at all times.

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Amanda and Kira, bonding.

Eyes on the handler.

 

Kramer attentively watching Amanda.

Seizures can happen whenever and wherever.  The dog must always be ready.

Puppy Pics! A bit about the breeder.

We were honoured to have Kira donated to Amanda from Greylaur Goldens almost eight years ago. Now that Kira is nearing retirement, we are so very lucky that Greylaur Goldens has again chosen Amanda to be the recipient of a future service dog.

Breeder Laurie Heron, pictured at the end of the photos with Kira, shared with us that,

“Greylaur Goldens has been breeding quality Golden Retrievers since 1981. We breed for temperament and soundness. We have had many of our puppies graduate as service dogs both as seeing-eye and seizure-response dogs. We are very proud of all of them.”

Enjoy some pictures of Kira from newborn stage to almost 8 weeks!

                                                                          Day One

 With mom, Abby 

 Two weeks old.   

 Three weeks old.

 Four and a half weeks.

 Five weeks.

 Six and a half weeks.

 Kira, seven and a half weeks.

Laurie Heron of Greylaur Goldens with Kira.

To help raise funds for the new puppy’s specialized training as a service dog,

Donate here: https://bit.ly/3fvYtxd  

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What is epilepsy?

What is epilepsy?-

The most common definition of epilepsy includes it being a disease in which a person has two or more unprovoked seizures.  Amanda has had this condition since her first day of life and describes her seizures as “an electrical storm in the brain.”

Throughout her life Amanda has experienced a roller coaster of changing seizure types.  Some have impaired her awareness, while she has been able to hear and sometimes talk through others.  She has had convulsive seizures where she loses consciousness, as well as partial seizures that you might not even notice happening, even if you were having a conversation with her at the time.

Some seizures have affected just one part of her body, for example, uncontrolled twitching of her arm.  Her most frequent seizures involve becoming temporarily blind until the seizure passes.

Cluster seizures are debilitating for Amanda.  These are repeated seizures that begin as short episodes, but keep recurring, closer together, and longer in duration.  These take a toll on her physical stamina, and can sometimes lead to generalized impaired awareness seizures.

Epilepsy can have any number of causes, including head injuries, stroke, a brain tumor, 

birth trauma and brain infections. They may also be part of a neurological disorder.  In most cases, the cause of epilepsy is unknown.  

                                      

In Amanda’s case her blood sugar and calcium levels plummeted in the hours after her birth causing her to go into uncontrolled seizures. This resulted in her being transferred to Sick Kids Hospital where she received exceptional care for the next 18 years of her life.

Here are First Aid Tips for Seizures as taken from the Epilepsy York Region website.

SEIZURE/POST SEIZURE SAFETY

·        Stay Calm

·        Remove Physical Items

·        Time the Seizure

·        Recovery Position while on ground

·        Move Dangerous Objects

·        Put something soft under head to prevent further injury

·        Do not restrain individual

·        Call 911 if long lasting or injury during seizure

·        Stay to reassure person after, make sure they are aware and feeling well

·        Do not give food or drinks right after seizure (can cause choking)

·        Watch for re-occurring seizure after first has happened and give them time

Please check the following links for further information about epilepsy and seizures:

https://epilepsyyork.org/

https://www.epilepsy.ca/epilepsy-facts.html#:~:text=Each%20day%20in%20Canada%2C%20an,over%20the%20age%20of%2060.

https://epilepsyontario.org/about-epilepsy/first-aid/

https://www.epilepsy.ca/seizures.html

https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/ilae-new-seizure-classification-what-are-new-seizure-names#.Xw4OSChKhPY

Cutting the seizure short:  for whatever reason, when the dog licks Amanda’s hand it has the overall effect of shortening the length of the seizure.  We know there is an increase in heart rate and stress level when a seizure begins, so it makes sense that the dog licking her hand would bring a sense of calm and lower the stress level, and in doing so help abort the seizure. 

In the pictures below, Kramer has been given the command to “Find a seat,” as Amanda feels a seizure coming on.  He leads her to a seat, licks her hand and ensures that she remains seated until the seizure passes. 

Although Amanda’s dogs are trained to respond to seizures after the fact, it has been our experience that once they are bonded with Amanda they learn subtle signals, perhaps changes in body language and scent, that alert them to the fact that a seizure may occur.  Both Kramer and Kira demonstrated signs that they felt there was a seizure about to happen, and in these instances would not let Amanda stand up, continue walking or attempt to cross the street.

These goldens are worth their weight in gold!  Donate here:  https://bit.ly/3fvYtxd

Building a normal life... baths!

Building a normal life for someone with epilepsy takes planning. Baths can be dangerous. Both the heat and the reflections on the water act as triggers for Amanda’s seizures. While she lived with the family we did find a way for her to enjoy a bath. Precautions had to be put in place including that someone had to be close by in the next room, and that a phone, emergency meds and a list of emergency phone numbers were on the ledge in the hallway just in case.

If Amanda had a generalized seizure in the bathtub, she could usually get the word, “Mom” out before she lost consciousness. Her hand would begin to jerk and splash the water.

Amanda’s first service dog trainer, Jac Harbour, provided her with a bath tub plug that had a floating toy attached to the chain, and taught Kramer to react to the signals of the call for “Mom” and the splashing water by pulling the plug, and running to get help. This way the water would drain, stopping Amanda from slipping underneath while the dog alerted an adult that there was an emergency.

The pictures below are a simulation showing Kramer demonstrating this skill.  After locating an adult the dog will then lead them back to the tub to provide assistance.

Of course, if Amanda is home alone, a shower is the alternative.

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Disorientation

Disorientation is a common feeling after Amanda has her seizures. The pictures below show Kramer fetching and retrieving the bag Amanda didn’t realize she’d dropped while in this state. More importantly, when confusion and disorientation persist after longer seizures, Amanda is able to rely on her dog to lead her safely back “Home,” with this simple command.

Street Safety

This set of pictures will explain how a service dog works to keep Amanda safe. Today's photos focus on street safety and feature Amanda's first service dog, Kramer.
Stay tuned for additional segments in the days to come!

Street safety is an important skill for Amanda's service dog to provide for her. Amanda wears a wraparound leash that attaches the dog to her waist. When she is ready to cross the street, her dog will wait for a command. During seizure, Amanda might continue walking automatically and unaware, but the leash will restrict her from stepping into the street unless she is able to verbalize the correct command.

Should traffic be coming, the dog will also hold firm and prevent Amanda from walking on, even if she does give the command.

If Amanda begins crossing a busy road and then feels a seizure about to start, she can give another command for the dog to pull her quickly across the street and safely to the other side.

This was the main safety concern when a service dog was first suggested to our family. We are so grateful Amanda is able to walk independently and safely throughout the community with her dog! Cable will learn these skills too!

How a seizure-response dog helps Amanda

How does a seizure-response dog help with Amanda's seizures?

Seizures are very unpredictable. They can occur suddenly or with a little warning called an aura. The aura is sometimes a feeling or sensation that something is wrong. In Amanda's case, she goes temporarily blind.

If Kira intervenes and begins licking Amanda's hand soon enough, this is often enough to stop the seizure from progressing into a cluster of seizures or a longer, convulsive seizure with loss of consciousness.

If Amanda is able to give the command, "Brace" before the seizure takes hold, Kira will help Amanda to lower herself to the ground using Kira to steady herself.

Once on the ground, Kira licks Amanda's hand to help her come out of the seizure before it progresses. Kira will stay with Amanda and not allow her to try to stand back up until Amanda is actually able to do so.

A safe way to help!