My Safe Place w/ Amy Shelle

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Training Dogs To Help Sexual Assault Survivors Move Forward with PTSD

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About The Episode

Amy Shelle grew up in Michigan, where she still resides to this day, and always had dogs (and some other animals) growing up. However, they were more to her than just a pet. They were who she could trust, who she could rely on, and who she felt made her feel safe.

As an adult, Amy was trying to work her way through the trauma of sexual assault that she had since experienced. In the same way that dogs had helped her when she was younger, she decided that they could help now as well. She thought about the idea of dogs being trained to help people going through this specific kind of trauma and took in a dog to train herself. That dog was named Greta, and her idea worked. Amy felt safer. She trained the dog to help with several tasks - such as helping keep her safe and comfortable when out in public, reminding her about medication to take, and interrupting the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) thought process.

After going through more tough life situations, including a divorce where she had to find Greta a new home, Amy was interested in the idea of starting an organization based on Greta’s name, given her positive experience. However, Amy wanted to expand her education first. Amy already had a 4-year Bachelor's degree in Animal Science and a 2-year Associate’s degree in Horse Management, but decided to go back to school at Michigan State University to get a social work degree too.

While completing her degree, Amy felt vulnerable again and in need of another service dog. In the search process, she was looking for any organizations that had service dogs for civilians with PTSD. There was nothing, only options for veterans. And while, of course, vets deserve them – other people with different kinds of PTSD do, too. This only solidified to Amy what a need there was for this type of program.

Upon finishing her new social work degree, and working at a place that trains service dogs for veterans, Dogs for GRETA (Gaining Resilience and Empowerment through Teamwork and Assurance) was formed. It started in March of 2019 and has been going strong since, training psychiatric service dogs for survivors of sexual assault diagnosed with PTSD. Their mission is to provide support and advocacy for these survivors. In fact, you may recall our episode with Grace French, where she spoke about how her dog Bentley helps her manage anxiety issues as a sexual assault survivor. Bentley trained through Dogs for GRETA, too.

About The Guest - Amy Shelle

Amy Shelle is the Founder of Dogs for GRETA, which trains service dogs for survivors of sexual assault diagnosed with PTSD. Usually, civilians have few options for service dog training as it is typically reserved for veterans. As a sexual assault survivor, Amy recognized an unmet need for services dogs for people with similar situations to hers. With degrees in animal science and social work, she brought that experience together to create an organization with a specialized service dog training program. The organization's name was inspired by her previous dog, Greta, who was the first dog she worked with to help her heal, overcome trauma, and move forward with life.

Featured Links

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