Dogs truly are amazing companions. They’re incredibly smart, fiercely loyal, and offer love and friendship like no other. Regardless of breed, dogs are among the top picks for both pet ownership and work: service, therapy, herding, search and rescue, hunting, detection, name it.
That’s because aside from their loyalty and sociable nature, dogs are tough and trainable.
Heather DeVore Lange, mom of 7-year-old Hadley Jo shares,
“Ariel is Hadley Jo’s seizure alert service dog. Ariel saves my daughter’s life by alerting us before a seizure happens, allowing us to administer rescue medication in less than two minutes. My goal is to provide my daughter an independent life as much as possible and Ariel helps to make that happen.”
Hadley Jo was only 17 months old when she had her first seizure. It happened when she was in her mom’s lap and since that scare, her parents decided to brainstorm until they reached a decision – something that would help them anticipate and prevent seizures.
So when the little girl turned 2, her mom and dad decided the best thing to do was to get a dog trained in detecting seizures. In an interview with WHAS11, Heather describes just how vital Ariel’s role is in all their lives.
“She truly saves my daughter’s life, and I don’t think I could ever thank her enough for that.”
As a service dog, Ariel’s job includes going everywhere with her BFF Hadley Jo. That means the Labradoodle also attends school at St. Patrick Catholic School in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ariel plays such an important role that the happy, reliable pup has actually become an honorary student!
It was a gesture that definitely did not go unappreciated.
“The inclusiveness and acceptance of my daughter and her service dog means the world to me. It is beyond comforting to know that my daughter and her service dog have a home away from their home, at school, and that they are loved. They are accepted regardless of their differences.”
Because the Lange family has seen just how impactful the role of a service dog is in their daughter’s life, they decided to help other children who needed the same assistance. They came up with the Hope for Hadley Jo Project, a fundraising initiative that helps provide service dogs for those in need and at the same time raise awareness for Epilepsy.
Moreover, people are given a clearer idea of how to better deal with conditions similar to Hadley Jo’s, and how valuable a dog’s service, friendship, and loyalty really is.
