More than 20 years after the accident that left her paralyzed, Fossil Ridge High School teacher Michelle Fink is finally in the process of receiving aid from the Loveland based First United Methodist Church through their HA=LO program.

The HA=LO Project provides service dogs free of charge to individuals who have been turned down by other service dog programs. Miss Fink, who has been in a wheelchair since she was 16, had been turned down by several other programs. “I was told that I wasn’t disabled enough,” Fink said. Referred to the program by another FRHS teacher, Miss Fink said she was hopeful.

The process of receiving her dog has been a long one. “When I was accepted into the program, they told me they already had a dog available,” Fink said. “So I thought the turnaround time would be quick.”

This wasn’t the case. The proposed service dog failed her service test, and was placed in a program where she visits the sick and elderly.

“I think my case is different to the cases the program usually deals with,” Fink said. “Usually they train dogs for anxiety and PTSD relief.”

Being in a wheelchair restricts Miss Fink’s ability to do day-to-day tasks like open doors and taking out the trash. A service dog would need to know more than 80 commands to help her in her daily activities. “That’s 80 commands that the dog needs to know and that I need to know, too. Plus the dog needs to be comfortable with me giving the commands,” Fink said.

Two months after her first dog was ruled out, HA=LO once again had another service-dog option for Miss Fink. “They told me they had a puppy for me and were going to start training him earlier than they usually start a dog’s training,” Fink said. “I was really excited.”

Almost two years after she received this news, Miss Fink continues to work with Bravo, a standard Poodle. Although she hasn’t received the dog yet, Miss Fink attends training sessions and classes with Bravo. “They say that Bravo is still a puppy and that they don’t want to give me a dog that is half service dog and half puppy,” Fink said. There have been many setbacks prolonging the training process, such as receiving a rattlesnake bite and running away from the trainer’s house, she said.

It is still unclear when Fink will receive Bravo. “I still need to bring him into school and see how he does before I can officially have him,” she said. “Right now I need a clear timeline of what is next for his training.”

Miss Fink said she hopes that Bravo will be home with her for Christmas this year.