Assistance dog Buddy helps out with mental illness

Twenty-six-year-old Melissa Sutton has got her life back on track thanks to her beagle pup Buddy who helps her overcome her mental illnesses.

Macarthur Chronicle — Melissa Sutton (26) is pictured with her beagle puppy Buddy (7 months).

Up until five years ago Melissa Sutton was an average girl looking to lead an average life.

Then her life got turned upside down when she was diagnosed with several mental illnesses including major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic social anxiety and borderline personality disorder. the link is, GoFundMe.com/therapydogBuddy

The 26-year-old has spent the past five years trying to get her life back on track.

She describes her situation as though everything in her life has been “put on hold or pushed back”.

Macarthur Chronicle — Melissa Sutton (26) is pictured with her beagle puppy Buddy (7 months).

“I can’t plan anything,” she said.

“I used to be very routine oriented.

“Some days are completely normal and others I have so much anxiety I can’t leave the house.”

Ms Sutton doesn’t know why or how she came to have these conditions.

“It’s very hard to treat and control,” she said.

“The doctors don’t know why my auto-immune system attacks itself.

“My conditions came all of a sudden.

“It snuck up on me and I sisn’t see any warning signs.”

Macarthur Chronicle — Melissa Sutton (26) is pictured with her beagle puppy Buddy (7 months).

In order to help her get her life back Ms Sutton has been partnered with a mind dog beagle pup named buddy.

Whilst his mere presence has already made a significant positive contribution to her lifestyle, Buddy needs intensive training to be of full and proper use to Ms Sutton.

This training is expensive and isn’t affordable to someone like Ms Sutton who gets by on a pension.

“Having a mental illness affects my life in many ways from low mood to chronic social anxiety, and even disassociation (feeling disconnected from reality and out of body feelings),” she said.

Macarthur Chronicle — Melissa Sutton (26) is pictured with her beagle puppy Buddy (7 months).

“Quite often my problems seem so overwhelming that the thought of getting out of the house and being part of society is frightening.

Having a dog to be trained as a therapy dog would allow me to feel much safer in public and when he is trained he will be able to ground me and make sure I am safe.

Organisations like Mind Dogs help with this.

My dog Buddy is a Beagle and he is a very smart puppy.

“He has already made a difference in my life.

“He will be able to stay with me in hospital whist I am an inpatient.

“Patients with Mind Dogs have fewer hospital admissions and I really hope this will be the case for me.

I look forward to being able to have Buddy trained so I can participate in life again.

HELP OUT

To donate to get Buddy fully trained go to GoFundMe.com/therapydogBuddy