Former West Midlands police officer helped through MS symptoms by support dog

Former police officer, Debbie Harris says she's 'in awe' of her dog, Rogue who was trained by a charity to support her with symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

Debbie left her role in West Midlands Police to look after her husband who had a head-on collision which nearly killed him. However the stress of the situation manifested in MS symptoms for Debbie, a condition which she says she first had signs of in her twenties.

Debbie's health deteriorated and, following a formal diagnosis in 2007, she and Steve moved to Wales for a slower-paced rural life, finding a home with plenty of land for their animals; one of which has proved to be a life-changer for Debbie.

Their Cocker Spaniel, 'Rogue' showed early signs that she was more than just a pet and could potentially help make life easier for Debbie. Rouge was trained by the national Support Dogs charity and the pair recently qualified as a successful disability assistance dog partnership.

Amazingly, Rogue can help Debbie to get dressed and undressed, open doors and push access buttons as well as picking up dropped items like Debbie’s walking stick, fetching named items from another room and even emptying the washing machine.

Having Rogue trained as a support dog has even helped Debbie to rekindle her love of swimming.

Debbie said: “When I’m in the water, I’m relaxed and the pain eases - but when I stand up and go to get changed, it’s there again.

“Rogue comes swimming with me and sits on the poolside. I have the walker and drop all my clothes and when I’m in the shower, she will pull the towel off the hook and bring me my clothes!

“We always said our dogs should do some kind of work, so I said that Rogue could be my helper.”

Debbie applied to Support Dogs in late 2023 and following a number of assessments, medical reports and home visits, Rogue went along to Support Dogs’ training centre in April last year for four weeks of intensive training, followed two weeks later by Debbie to put everything Rogue had learned into practice.

Debbie added: “What Support Dogs have taught her is fantastic. I’m absolutely gobsmacked that she does it – I’m in awe of her.

"She reads the room and if I drop something, she’s there to pick it up before I even ask her.

“If it wasn’t for Rogue, I probably wouldn’t go out. She’s given me the confidence so I can go out independently from Steve and the family and know she’s going to be there to help me in some way.

“I’m amazed by Support Dogs’ staff – they had her for a month and took her from being my pet that I had done basic training with to doing things where I was like ‘Is this really my pet? I can’t believe it!’ I’m so grateful.”

To find out more about the incredible work of Support Dogs, you can visit supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 261 7800.