The Accident That Changed My Life Forever

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Mr. Wrinkles’ Story

My name is Mr. Wrinkles.  I was given my name because of the loose folds of skin on my body that define my breed.  I am a Shar Pei. I was gifted to my human mum on Mother’s Day at around nine months of age. I started my life in a house where a woman was running a business selling puppies.  I was ill-treated by the woman, who threw me from the first floor to the basement. One day, one of my new family members paid the woman money to take me away from abuse and give me a good home.

I was brought into a home with a new mum and dad.  In the beginning, I would hide under the sofa in the living room as I was afraid, having suffered abuse by my first owner.  My human dad, a retired army sergeant, didn’t like dogs or me much at first. My human mum worked during the day, so it was therefore up to my human dad to take me on walks in the mornings and afternoons as well as feed me. My human dad frankly needed the exercise. He was recovering from gastric bypass surgery as he had had a lot of health complications following his putting on weight. Not being able to run as he used to do when he was active in the military, walking was a good option for him. It turned out to be a good option for both of us as my human dad fell in love with me. This isn’t surprising as I am a loving and affectionate boy. I have a really sweet temperament, and I like everyone.  As time went on, I became more attached to my human dad, who became my primary caregiver. He walked me, fed me, cared for me, and communicated with me.

My doggy life was going really well in my new home with my loving family. 

Until that day. 

The Day That Changed Our Lives Forever

“Take me home”

The accident happened around 6 pm the night before Halloween in 2019. It was dusk, and the visibility was poor.  Mr. Wrinkles was out on a walk with his human owner in a residential area, on a harness and leash.  They were on a crosswalk when Mr. Wrinkles’ owner was hit by a speeding driver in an SUV. The owner was dragged 50 feet after being hit, his leg stuck in the back wheel of the vehicle. When the police arrived at the scene of the accident, the dog’s owner was lying on the ground, unconscious.  Mr. Wrinkles, who was unharmed, stayed by his owner’s side. The driver of the car was nearby, also unharmed. 

The owner of the dog had no ID on him. “Take me home” were the words one of the policemen uttered to Mr. Wrinkles. As his owner was taken by ambulance to hospital, Mr. Wrinkles led the policemen to his home some five blocks away. The front door was locked as his human mum was at work. Mr. Wrinkles sat on the lawn in front of the house and waited. One of the neighbours across the street recognised Mr. Wrinkles and looked after him while the officers went to his human mum’s salon nearby to inform her about the accident.

He was not expected to survive. In ICU, Mr. Wrinkles’ owner was unconscious and was put in a medically induced coma for ten days due to inflammation on the brain and bleeding. He had fractures to his skull, face, pelvis, hip, and legs. He miraculously survived. After one month, Mr. Wrinkles’ owner was moved to a rehabilitation centre, where he had pulmonary therapy, and then to a second rehab centre, where he received physical and speech therapy.  Mr.  Wrinkles human dad was discharged after four months and brought home.  Unable to communicate, walk, eat, or care for himself, his ordeal was about to begin. He had suffered brain damage and was mentally and physically incapacitated, now dependent on 24/7 care.

The house changed to accommodate a disabled individual, with a hospital bed, equipment for lifting him, turning him over in bed, bathing, oxygen level and BP check, and other treatment necessitated by several surgeries that Mr. Wrinkles’ human dad had endured.  The house had turned into a medical ward, with aides to clean and change him and medical staff coming in and out of the house all day.

As told by Mr. Wrinkles

My human dad perhaps pulled me with him. Or maybe he let go of me to save me when he was hit by the car and dragged with it. No one really knows what happened. His eyes were closed. I stayed with my human owner until people came and took him away. Then one of the men spoke to me, and I walked with them and took them to our house.

I did not see my human dad for a long time, except for one time when my human mum took me to see him in a place where there were lots of people who were dressed in the same way. My human dad was lying in a bed.  He recognised me for a few seconds and moved his hand to touch me. 

My human dad eventually came back home. Then everything changed. My human owner did not speak to me. Maybe he recognised me, but he was just in so much pain all the time. Sometimes he would look in my direction. He was aware that I was in the room.  I don’t think he remembered though that he once had a dog that he loved and who loved him back in return. Gone was the communication between us, the long walks, being by my owner’s side all day as he played guitar and puttered around the house. 

People were coming in and out of the house all day to care for my human dad. I became very quiet after the accident, quieter than before, and because of everything that was happening around me.  I also became closer to my human mum.  I now followed her around the house. I would also follow my mum’s friends and family members when they came over to our house and stayed close to them. My human mum put a pillow next to her bed for me to sleep on. She was busy though with my human dad who needed constant care, so there was no one to take me out on walks. She would open the side door where I would go out and do my business.

I would stay in the room near my human dad’s bed and sniff around. I would sit on the side of the room, or by the front door. The front door became my favourite place in the house, where I would lie behind the screen and enjoy the sun streaming in. When the doorbell rang, I would bark.  “It’s OK, Mr. Wrinkles” was the signal that it was fine to let people in the house to care for my human dad. I was friendly with everyone who came into the house.

A Real Life Hero

The men who came to help my human dad called me a “hero” when I led them to my house to find my human mum. 

Am I a hero? I don’t know. I couldn’t save my human dad from the accident. I have had to adapt to a new home after being rescued from abuse though, to a home with a new family, only not to have my human dad really know me or care for me anymore. He would follow me with his eyes sometimes, but that was it. I was cared for, not in the same way as before my human dad’s accident, but I was fed and taken care of.

I survived the accident. My human dad was not as lucky as me.  He survived, but he cannot get out of bed on his own,  and he may never walk again. He still needs 24/7 care. Eventually my human dad regained some of his memory, and he recognises some of his family members for very short periods of time.  He does know who my human mum is. She is his primary caregiver. My human dad can now say a few words to communicate with the people around him. On two occasions he told my human mum to take me out of the room. I just left the room. 

I was seven and a half years old at the time of my human dad’s accident. As I got older, I put on weight and developed heart problems. When my health got worse, I stopped sleeping next to my human mum’s bed and would hide in her closet or in the garage. I didn’t want my human mum to suffer more than she has already. She has had enough to deal with, tirelessly caring for my human dad since his accident. 

This story is in loving memory of Mr. Wrinkles, who passed away almost one year ago at the age of eleven years and three months. His human dad does not know he is gone, but his family members who loved him and visited and took care of him remember him fondly.

Living with a Disability

My life had been pretty good up until the last few years.  I was a music teacher in a public primary school in Nicosia, Cyprus, where I had worked for almost thirty years. Little did I know that my life as I knew it was going to change abruptly because of disability. 

I was diagnosed with epilepsy fourteen years ago.  I didn’t let my disability stop me from working until I sustained a spinal fracture following an accident three years ago.  This necessitated several surgeries on my spine.  I couldn’t do anything for myself and needed assistance. I had to quit my job. Depression set in, and I went to a psychiatrist for treatment.  I went from being independent to needing 24-hour assistance overnight.  How was I going to continue living my life as a disabled person? 

I needed assistance at home. I live with my husband, who is a practicing physician.  Merlin, a Siberian Husky and Swiss White Shepherd mix, entered my life. Trained as a ‘medical alert’ assistance dog, he enabled me to go about my daily life.   Merlin is now retired, so I rely on Alexa, a female Siberian Husky, who has also been trained as an assistance dog. Should I have an epileptic seizure and be rendered unconscious, Alexa will get my husband from another part of the house by thumping on the door. Alexa has been trained to let me know in advance when a seizure is coming on by pressing her nose on my knee or on my shoulder if I am driving.  When Alexa alerts me, I need to stop what I am doing and sit, take care of myself, and call somebody.  Alexa watches over me 24/7.

My Real Life Hero

On a typical day, I wake up around 5.30 am and take out Merlin, Alexa, and Dias, my other Siberian Husky, to do their business. When we come back, I feed them, and I then take Alexa out for one hour to the dog park where she can run and play with other dogs. Alexa plays fetch and runs around the park, which is in an enclosure.  I go to physiotherapy with Alexa most mornings, with permission from the doctors to take Alexa with me into the private clinic. I attend my other doctor’s appointments as well.  After I come back home, I sometimes go over to friends’ houses for coffee or meet up with friends.  I come home and cook, and I then have to rest around noon.  Alexa accompanies me wherever I go.  In the afternoons, I take the dogs out with my husband for long walks.  After supper, Alexa plays with her rings. We play different games with her, such as picking up things from the floor, which I cannot do.  This is good for her training. At night, Alexa sleeps with me.

Our activities do not end there. With a certificate showing that Alexa has been trained in certain venues and with permission from the relevant authorities, Alexa can go with me where I need to go.  I enjoy going to the beach, and Alexa accompanies me to beaches where I am allowed with a service dog.   In Cyprus, we are not allowed on beaches where there are sunbeds and umbrellas. The situation in other European Union countries is different though. I travel with my three dogs once a year to Mykonos, Greece, where disabled people and their service dogs have access everywhere.   In order for Alexa to travel with me as an assistance dog, I needed to get permission from government authorities in Cyprus to go to the airport with the trainers to train Alexa to assist me, ensuring we get through security, checking, and passport control. 

My life was pretty miserable before Merlin, and now Alexa, came into my life. I wasn’t allowed to do anything or leave the house. When I wouldn’t answer the phone, my husband or friends would panic because they assumed I had probably had a seizure. Before having an assistance dog, I used to fall during an epileptic seizure and hurt myself. With Alexa by my side, I know exactly what I have to do when a seizure is coming on, so I feel safer now. My husband and friends know that I am being watched over and cared for by Alexa and feel more reassured. I can now do the things I wasn’t allowed to do previously.  Because of my faithful companion Alexa, I am able to lead a fairly full life. 

It has not all been smooth sailing though. In Cyprus, there is a lack of education and awareness about service dogs and their usefulness for disabled people and society in general. Organisations such as Assistance Dogs Cyprus, which helps individuals like me with disabilities achieve more independence by training assistance dogs, is working actively to change this. The public perspective of dogs is not good, much less that of service dogs. Service dogs are allowed in medical and government establishments, but not in private hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants, or shops. I need special permission from different government ministries and establishments for Alexa to accompany me. In essence, I need to show officials that Alexa has passed her exams and has a certificate. Although I lead a fairly full life, my ability to enjoy my life in public is somewhat curtailed.  If I was allowed to go everywhere with Alexa, I would have the same rights as everyone else. 

Alexa’s Story

My name is Alexa.  I am a purebred Siberian Husky.  I am 18 months old. I weigh almost 15 kilograms.   I was brought from a breeder in Holland at 4 months old. I live with my handler Marian, her husband, and my furry companions, Merlin and Dias. I am not a regular house dog or pet. I started training as an assistance dog at 5 months old. I have been trained as a ‘medical alert’ dog.  I am here to assist my handler, who has epilepsy and has difficulty walking. She cannot be by herself. I have been trained through smell to recognise when she is about to have a seizure. I let her know by pressing my nose on her knee or shoulder. When she has a seizure, I let someone nearby know that my handler is in distress and needs urgent assistance.

My working day starts at 5.30 am, when my handler takes me out with Merlin and Dias to do our business. Then she brings us back to the house to eat.  I am fed Kibble Perfect Weight from Hills. All work and no play makes Alexa a dull dog though. After I am fed, my handler takes me to the park for one hour.  I do get to be a regular dog and run and play with other dogs. You can tell me apart by my ‘Service Dog’ harness. I have been trained to not pay attention to or interact with other dogs or cats or children playing when I sense my handler is about to have a seizure. 

Being a service dog is what I was trained for.  I am by my owner's side 24/7 and accompany her wherever she needs to go and watch over her. If you asked me where I would like to be all day, it would be the park. But I have a very important job to do as a service dog. My handler’s life and independence depend on me. This is a very important service to humanity.

Training a Service Dog

Service dogs are trained for different functions. In the public domain, canines are trained as police dogs, detection dogs, for search and rescue, as guide dogs, and as assistance dogs to aid an individual with a disability. Dogs are assessed for size, character and temperament to gauge their suitability for training as service dogs. Service dogs are either bred for specific traits, or they are adopted from shelters and rescue groups or from the street. Dogs that are adopted from shelters must not show signs of fear or aggression to humans.  In addition to size and traits or characteristics, canines are evaluated for response and how willing they are to work with and be with humans.  Assistance dogs must also have the drive to work, that is, they must want to work twenty-four hours a day.  

At Assistance Dogs Cyprus, the emphasis on training is on the proper socialisation of the dog.   Individuals needing an assistance dog are evaluated as well in terms of their lifestyle, temperament, how they behave, their daily routine, what they like to do, and their history. The trainer searches for the ideal dog to be trained and then arranges a meeting with the canine and the person to see if they are suited for one another. The canine and person must be a team: both the assistance dog and the individual with a disability must be suited and happy with the match.

Service dogs are normally working dogs 24/7, depending on the needs and lifestyle of the individual in question. In a regular training programme, assistance dogs like Alexa are trained for an hour twice a week. Training lasts from one and a half to two years, with ongoing refresher training, as needed. Canines need to be trained in the environment where they will accompany the person with a disability. This presents an obstacle in countries like Cyprus, where assistance dogs are not allowed in certain establishments without permission.  If assistance dogs are not allowed in these places, the training cannot take place. In essence, assistance dogs need to be trained to be in real life situations. Without full access to public areas and facilities, a disabled person is limited as to where he or she can go with a service dog. 

The Need for Public Education and Awareness

At present, there are only three assistance dogs in service in Cyprus. Despite all the work that goes into training assistance dogs, there is still a lack of awareness and understanding of service dog training, their working functions, and the need for them to access public facilities. Dogs are seen as dogs. Another factor is the cost.  Training an assistance dog for an individual with a disability comes at a staggering cost of €15,000 in Cyprus. The cost is steeper in other parts of Europe, ranging from €25,000 to €40,000. The fee includes periodic follow-up training for the canine as well as consultations with and training for the person with the disability. In Europe, the training of assistance dogs for handlers is normally funded by companies and organisations. However, In Cyprus, this is simply non-existent, and funding for assistance dogs is therefore borne by the individual. 

Government support and public access for service dogs depends on the country one is in, the level of education and awareness, and government legislation.  Under the Equality Act 2010, which protects disabled people against discrimination, guide dog and assistance dog handlers have the same rights as everyone else to services provided by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants. In addition, all EU Member States are signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which promotes, protects and ensures the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all disabled persons. 

More needs to be done to integrate disabled individuals and their assistance dogs in all parts of society. Disability can happen to anyone at any stage of their life. Assistance dogs provide help in the daily lives of disabled people and assist them to do things that they normally cannot do. We need to celebrate assistance dogs and ensure their owners have the same rights as others do. 

The public perspective has to change to accommodate people less fortunate than us. If you have a disability and want to lead a fuller life, contact certified assistance dog trainers in your area. In Cyprus, you can contact Assistance Dogs Cyprus on Facebook and on Instagram.