Mount Pleasant Pets 2021-22

F E A T U R E M www.MtPleasant.Pet | www.MPVets.Pet | www.facebook.com/MPpets MP PETS By Anthony Macchio HOW SERVICE DOGS HAVE AIDED MY RECOVERY Painting by Lauren Gabriel MAN’S BEST FRIEND ON ANOTHER LEVEL When it comes to thinking about dogs and family, for me, they are one and the same. As far back as my earliest memory, my family always had a canine companion within our home. My last BFF — best furry friend — was Mad- ison, a German shorthaired pointer that we adopted in 2007, my junior year at Wando High School. Madison and I were inseparable throughout my final years in the public school system and then my college years. Upon college graduation, I was hired by the school — but soon started itching to add new experiences to my resume, including an opportunity on the West coast. Yes, this would mean committing to the gut-wrenching decision to leave Madison. I knew she would be in good hands with my parents, so off I went to explore California. Six days after moving into an apartment in San Mateo, California, I suffered a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, as a result of a bicycle accident. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet. After the accident, I spent months in Stanford Hospital’s ICU, an acute care facility in Marin County, California, as well as Shepherd Center’s in-patient rehab in Atlanta. I’ve also endured years of outpatient therapy of all types since returning to the Lowcountry. Long story short, I returned to Mount Pleasant after my seven months of in-patient experience. The simple, every- day tasks of walking and talking were still a ways off, but knowing I’d be gaining full recovery at my childhood home