A Life Built Around Four-Legged Love: ME’s Story
- Lola Carter
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
From her earliest memory, there has always been a dog in ME’s home. Dogs have walked beside her through every season of life, the bright, hopeful years and the ones heavy with loss. Right after college, she and her husband (married young and full of dreams) bought a little house with a fenced backyard before they could really afford it, just so they could bring home their first puppy. That puppy was Murphy, a beautiful German Shepherd who became the perfect companion for that chapter. Murphy saw ME through her first years of teaching, her husband’s military basic training, flight school, and grad school. When their son arrived, Murphy gently helped the young family step into full adulthood.
Later came Lucy, their tri-colored short-haired collie, who helped raise the kids in the open landscapes of Idaho. Then Stanli, ME’s big, wonderful labradoodle, stood by her side for eleven years as her closest friend and steady comfort. Stanli was there through the hardest blows: the loss of her husband to cancer, the deaths of her sister and brother, and the devastating stroke in late 2023 that changed everything in an instant.
The stroke stole much of ME’s independence. It left her “left-affected,” with a paralyzed left foot that drags and hesitates, making every step uncertain even with a cane in her right hand. It took away the activities that once brought her pure joy; hiking, camping, kayaking, playing piano, teaching, gardening, biking, swimming in warm lakes, snorkeling, beach walks, and spontaneous road trips. Cognitive and emotional challenges followed too: anxiety, sleepless nights, depression, and a sense that she had “lost her filter.” Yet through it all, Stanli adjusted beautifully to the new reality. She offered distraction, encouragement, and daily motivation that kept ME showing up for rehab and fighting to regain function.
Stanli passed away this February. The house feels emptier. The anxiety feels louder. The nights stretch longer without that familiar, comforting presence nearby.
ME has always said a good life is a four-dog life. She even jokes that My Good Four-Dog Life would be the title of her autobiography. Dogs have taught her to laugh, to notice the good in the world, and to keep moving forward. As Mary Oliver captured so perfectly in her Dog Songs, it is a “sweet arrangement”, this bond between human and dog. It is simply who ME is.
That’s why Mission: Service Dog matters so deeply to her now.
A service dog would be far more than a beloved companion. She would become ME’s partner in rebuilding strength, confidence, and joy. With the dog on a leash around her waist, the gentle pull and steady forward energy could help overcome those hesitant, dragging steps and get ME walking outdoors again. The dog’s presence could ease sleepless nights, pick up dropped items, check on her if she’s been still too long, and offer the accountability and motivation only a dog can give.
ME is already working hard toward her goals. This summer she hopes to grow strong enough to climb out of a pool using only her unaffected right side, she misses swimming more than words can say. She attends regular rehab, trains with a personal trainer, and rides her modified recumbent tricycle for outdoor exercise. Her hope remains strong: to walk without pain or fear of falling, without a limp, and perhaps one day regain movement in her left hand and shoulder.
She couldn’t walk Stanli in those final months and had to rely on others. She doesn’t want those limitations to define her future.
Your support can help write the next chapter.
Mission: Service Dog is dedicated to training and placing these remarkable service dogs with people like ME who need them to reclaim mobility, safety, independence, and the simple daily joys that make life worth fighting for. Every donation goes directly toward the extensive training, veterinary care, and careful matching that make these life-changing partnerships possible.
If ME’s story touches you, if you understand the quiet power of a dog’s love, or what it means to keep rising after life delivers its hardest blows, please consider giving today. Even a small gift brings ME one step closer to her next four-legged companion and the brighter days ahead.
Because dogs don’t live long enough… but the love, purpose, and healing they bring can last a lifetime.
Thank you for standing with ME on this journey. To make a financial donation, please follow the link below:
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