DANVILLE, Va. - It took months of intensive training
for Merlin to learn all of his remarkable tricks, but the one he seems
to enjoy the most - and the one that comes most natural to him - is
simply rolling over on his back so you can rub his belly.
To watch him lying there, his tale flapping, his expressive Labrador
face overcome with joy, you’d never know this friendly canine has been
nothing short of a miracle for one Danville couple.
Through an awful coincidence, both Ken and Gail Hall suffer from
Multiple Sclerosis. She was diagnosed in 1991, he in 1998.
And like all people with MS, an autoimmune disease that affects the
central nervous system, the disease hits them differently. For Gail
Hall, it’s in her brain, and affects her balance and speech. Ken
Hall’s MS hits his spinal chord, leading to bouts of paralysis and
leaving him bedridden or in a wheelchair.
When MS strikes one family member, it’s devastating. But for both
parents to be afflicted, the result is overwhelming. Without each other
to depend on, and not wanting to put too much of a burden on their three
children, the Halls had a problem.
The solution, it turned out, had four legs and a tail.
Several years ago, the Halls happened to be watching the local news on
WSLS-10 when they saw a segment about the St. Francis of Assisi Service
Dog Foundation, a Roanoke-based nonprofit organization that trains and
places service dogs with people with disabilities. Similar to seeing-eye
dogs, service dogs help the disabled perform many day-to-day tasks that
they are incapable of doing on their own.
Following an intense screening process, the Halls were accepted into the
program, marking the first time in St. Francis history that a service
dog would be matched with two recipients at the same time.
Finding the right dog for the Halls was an arduous process; they went to
Roanoke many times to meet with different dogs undergoing training so
that the trainers could get a sense of how each potential dog reacted to
the couple.
From the start, Ken Hall liked Merlin. Which was strange, because the
first time he approached Merlin, the dog’s trainer, Pam Scordas, told
him not to bother because Merlin didn’t want anything to do with men.
But when Ken walked away, Scordas noticed something different about
Merlin. He seemed to be watching Ken’s every move, and barely averted
his eyes from him all night. It was as if something had clicked between
them.
Eventually, the decision was made to pair Merlin, who was then
two-years-old, with the Halls. At first, Merlin would come to their home
on weekend visits just to get acclimated. Then he came for a week. More
than a year and half after the couple had been accepted into the
program, Merlin was ready to join the Hall family and become the first
service dog in Danville history.
For the last two years, Merlin has shown the Halls why he’s named for
a magician.
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“Refrigerator!” Ken Hall says to Merlin, who immediately makes a
bee-line for the fridge and tugs open the door.
“Get!”
Merlin pulls a blue bag filled with water and medicine out from the
bottom shelf and quickly carries it to Ken.
“Bump!”
Merlin rushes back and - bump! - closes the refrigerator door.
With company over, it’s a neat party trick. But when Ken Hall’s home
alone and in trouble, this could be a lifesaver.
Merlin’s now “working,” which means he’s got his red St. Francis
pack strapped to his back. The Halls say it’s amazing to watch him
make the switch. Without the pack on, he’s just the fun-loving family
dog (though he’ll still “work” if they need him); with the pack
on, he’s all business.
Merlin can also get the telephone, turn lights on and off, open doors,
brace a falling person, bring a wheelchair, tug sheets off a bed, open
and close drawers and carry laundry. He’ll often pull Ken up from a
seated position - something that is often difficult or impossible for
him to do on his own.
When Merlin travels with the Halls - like a seeing-eye dog, service dogs
are by law allowed in all public places - he can carry groceries, hand
Ken’s wallet to a cashier and wait for change, and give a quick
warning bark when anyone approaches them from behind.
Merlin loves it. “If he’s not working, he’s trying to work,”
Gail said.Just try putting your cane down with Merlin around. It’s
impossible. He’ll just keep bringing it back to them. Over and over.
Even if they don’t need it. Helping is what makes him happy, and
he’s always looking for his chance to pitch in.
The Halls say that Merlin can sense which of them needs him the most on
a particular day, and will focus his attention as such.
He’s also trained to immediately go to the closest family member when
either Ken or Gail needs help. This was put to the test recently when
Ken fell late at night. Merlin immediately went and got their son. If no
one were home, the phone is just a command away.
But for all his training, it’ perhaps the confidence and companionship
Merlin instills in the Halls that is his greatest gift of all.
Before Merlin, they would often shy away from grocery stores or the
mall, uncertain whether they’d be up for the hectic situations. With
Merlin in tow, they have the freedom and security to go almost anywhere.
Now people see Merlin, see his little “service dog” pack, and give
the Halls some space, maybe even some assistance.
“There were lots of times when we weren’t feeling well and didn’t
want to go out in public,” Gail said. “Merlin changed all that.
It’s all about peace of mind and security.”
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Merlin’s unwavering service has not gone unnoticed. Recently, he
received the prestigious Booker Willoughby Memorial Award, which is
presented annually by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of
Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech to an outstanding service dog,
therapy dog, hearing dog, guide dog, police dog or search & rescue
dog.
Merlin beat out over 200 nominees, becoming the first dog from St.
Francis to capture the award.
The Halls, understandably, are filled with pride.
“Since the day Merlin became a part of our family, he has told us over
and over that we are his reason for being,” Ken Hall wrote in the
nomination papers for the award. “By the way he rests his head against
our leg or thumps his tail at our smallest smiles; by the way he shows
his hurt when one of us leaves without taking him (I think it makes him
sick with worry when he is not along to care for us).
“Without him, we are two people with MS, with all the limitations and
insecurities that entails; with him, we are all powerful. His head on
our knee can heal any hurts; his presence by our side is our protection.
“Merlin has promised to wait for us, whenever, wherever, in case we
need him and we know he always will. I think the most important aspect
of having Merlin in our lives is the comfort and peace he has brought
us.”
Contact Billy Baker at mailto:%20wbaker@registerbee.com
or at (434) 793-2311, Ext. 3042.