MAGZ- the reason behind it all!
Magz is a rescue St. Bernard and Great Pyrenees mix that was dumped in an ice storm. We rescued her and she fit right in with our family immediately! From the beginning, she showed remarkable calmness, intelligence and overall confidence.
Even though she was one of the smaller dogs in her litter, she quickly grew and now, at 9 months old, she is over 80lbs.
Her handler, Robin, had a vision for their future together and made it happen. With the help of her trainer, Sable Warriors, they fostered the confidence and calmness that Magz had already shown them.
Medical Alert Services
9 months later, Magz alerts Robin to oncoming debilitating migraines, allowing her to take steps to prevent them.
In addition, Magz alerts to various cardiac and blood pressure episodes. Once alerted, Magz fetches critical medication when her handler is unable to.
Daily Life
Not only does Magz perform life-saving alerts and assistance to Robin, she also assists with daily life. She fetches items off the floor or ground when dropped (even phones!!!).
Magz retrieves hard to reach items, opens doors and performs deep pressure therapy for muscle spasms.
These are just a few of the many, many tasks that Magz performs at just 9 months old!!
She is fully certified for public access. This is a critical step in her training journey and has been life-changing for Robin!
They will continue to refine her skills and add more tasks to her portfolio. These could include but are not limited to, counter balance, retrieving assistance devices should a fall occur and seeking help if handler is unconscious.
Fun with Magz
Outside of providing life-saving alerts and tasks, Magz is a big ball of fun! She loves to do agility, play in the water and play frisbee. Tug-of-War is also a top choice during playtime.
Kids are her absolute favorite and Magz will do anything to play bubbles with her favorite little people. The grandkids are her best friends. From cuddling on the couch, to romping in the backyard, to going for walks in the neighborhood, they have a blast together!
Like most dogs, she loves her naps. When she is not working or playing, you can find her catching some zzzz’s while hogging the entire couch.
Conclusion
While these skills and tasks are necessary for Robin’s quality of life, they are extremely expensive. From medical tests for Magz to qualify for service dog training to the actual training sessions and beyond, the costs stack up.
This is the reason behind everything we do. We came together as a family and made it happen. It is still a work in progress, but we hope (over time) it will cover all past and future costs. In turn, Robin will be able to have an amazing quality of life and enjoy her grandkids in the process!!
