My name is Natalie, and this is my service dog partner, Monet. I served in the United States Air Force on Active Duty from 2002 – 2016, first as a Financial Management and Comptroller Airmen, and later as a non-commissioned officer in Ground Safety. In 2016, I was medically retired due to injuries sustained during and after Operation Iraqi Freedom that made it no longer possible for me to serve.
Since 2016, my ability to work a regular job and go out in public have been severely impacted and made simple trips to the grocery store or going for a walk in a public place difficult, which made it easier to retreat into the safety of my own home where I could predict the environment. After seeing the benefits of having a service dog to manage better in civilian society on a television program and adopting my dog Monet, I found Give Us Paws and the rest is history! I am grateful to Paul and his staff for the opportunity to train with Monet and I and know she will bring much needed comfort and peace to situations whenever needed and then some!