When Grace McIntyre first applied for an assistance dog trained by Irish Dogs for the Disabled in late 2022, she was told they had a waiting list of five years.
Much to her and her family’s surprise, her assistance dog, Mozart, was home in Leitrim with them at the end of April 2023! The school community was excited that Mozart would be starting school the following September!
Eventually, people got used to his calming presence in the classroom. Everyone was amazed watching Mozart pick up pens or any items that Grace had dropped, and pull off her cardigan. At break times, Mozart is let off duty and loves giving cuddles to everyone. He provides a great sense of calm to everyone in the room.
Other ways in which Mozart has improved Grace’s life include giving her confidence and independence and acting as a conversation starter. This helps improve Grace’s social life, as people see this beautiful, majestic dog walking alongside her, rather than the disabled girl. He accompanies Grace everywhere, including hospital appointments, restaurants, shops, school, museums, on public transport, etc. He has also accompanied Grace on school trips, both day trips and overnight trips!
Dogs for the Disabled is a not-for-profit organisation that trains assistance dogs to the highest of standards. The charity was established in 2007 by Jennifer Dowler, as she recognised the growing need for this kind of support.
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If you would like Grace and Mozart to give a talk to your school, you can email her at [email protected] or you can find her on instagram @adventuresof_graceandmozart where she chronicles life as a wheelchair user with her loving assistance dog by her side!