Deeds not Words: Sheketa’s Story
- May 19
- 2 min read
A properly trained service dog not only offers love and companionship but also a renewed sense of freedom by assisting with specific needs. Working dogs can be trained to alert medical needs, retrieve items, guide, and even interrupt harmful behaviors. Transitioning one’s own pet into a service animal takes a lot of hard work, not only on one’s dog, but also on the owner.
Sheketa served in the Army National Guard from 1991 to 2006, when she was honorably discharged with a 100% disability rating. Sheketa was recently informed that having a service animal would benefit her health. Her preference is to have her own dog trained due to her financial situation. To start, she had to travel to San Diego to determine whether her dog would be accepted into the program. A service dog must have a calm temperament, be focused and non-reactive, and be able to handle stress without reacting – even a well-loved pet might not be the best candidate to be a working dog.
After researching her options and speaking with her medical team, she was referred by her VA doctor to America’s Warrior Partnership for some travel assistance necessary to travel from Northern California to Southern California to a service dog training program.
Because Sheketa is unable to work and relies solely on her VA disability benefit for her monthly expenses, she is unable to afford these extra costs and is seeking assistance. If she were to seek an already trained working dog, it could cost her anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 - or more! While going an owner-trained route is more cost effective, it isn’t without it’s expenses and will end up costing several thousand dollars throughout the process, which will take 1-2 years.
Thanks to PureTalk’s assistance, she will be one step closer to obtaining a service dog and the improved health and safety that comes with her loyal companion at her side.
Deeds Not Words is a collaborative initiative between PureTalk and America’s Warrior Partnership, dedicated to providing tangible support to veterans in need. Through PureTalk’s continued commitment, veterans like Sheketa can access help through the AWP Network when they need it most.
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