WE have been asking for your pet stories - and here is a lovely ‘waggy tail’ about a four-legged friend who goes the extra mile.
Meet Max-Reggie, a five-year-old Labrador registered with the charity Dog A.I.D, which helps people with disabilities train their pet dogs to help them.
Max waiting patiently at a medical appointment
Taking a well deserved break at the beach
Max helps his owner, Taylor, empty the washing machine, open doors and cupboards and fetches her medication. He has shared Taylor’s Bradford home from being a puppy but he wasn’t originally an assistance dog. “When I first got Max my health wasn’t too bad, but it deteriorated to the point where I needed increasing help. After watching Max play with my socks, I wondered if he would be able to assist me,” said Taylor, who has autism and other health problems.
“Max joined Dog A.I.D aged three and qualified after 18 months of training. He had lots of naughty little habits from being a cheeky pet dog for three years, so he had to unlearn some of those to pass his assistance dog exams. Dog A.I.D is the only Assistance Dogs UK charity who help people with disabilities to train their own pet dogs.”
Taylor says Max means everything to her, and along with Dog A.I.D, he has changed her life: “Max is my world. He’s my best friend and my furry little life saver. He’s a super good boy, he even accompanied me on a three-week pain rehabilitation hospital stay.
“Max helps me in lots of ways. Having him by my side increases my confidence and makes the world less scary. He can remove clothing, his favourite tasks include helping me to remove my shoes and socks and helping to empty the washing machine. He picks up items I’ve dropped so that I don’t have to bend and risk injury, he fetches items such as my emergency medication bag and opens doors and cupboards. He loves socks and will always steal at least one freshly washed sock to run around the living-room with, before putting it back in the laundry basket.”
Adds Taylor: “I can’t tell you how much easier Max makes life, especially hospital appointments which I find difficult. I call him ‘my little ball of brave’, because with him at my feet I feel just that bit braver. He’s my hero.”
Max may be top dog, but Taylor’s rescue cat Bee also means the world to her. “Bee is two, she was rescued at a few days old, having been born outside to a stray. She and Max like a game of fetch, she loves to chase tennis balls as much as he does, and she often accompanies Max on his walks. They both love carrots! Bee likes to get in the shower with me and sit at my feet.
Max and Bee chilling out
“They’re my world. They have both changed my life, I can’t imagine being without them," says Taylor. "I owe them both so much.”
* Our pets have become particularly precious to us in lockdown.
We'd love to share pictures of the pet in your life - and why they’re special to you. Do you have a rescue animal with a story you’d like to share? Or have you had your pet since they were a few weeks old? Do you have an unusual pet sharing your home? Or a working animal, such as guide dog? What does your pet mean to you, and why are they such a big part of your life?
In our new regular T&A feature, we want to celebrate the furry friends who give us unconditional love.
To share your pet’s story, and a photo, click here or email emma.clayton@nqyne.co.uk
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