A hero dog: Marissa New finds independence and companionship with service dog Creed

Cape Girardeau native Marissa New met her service dog, Creed, for the first time in October.

Marissa, 19, recently was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, which hinders a person's ability to properly organize appropriate responses to sensory signals. Every person diagnosed with SPD can have varying challenges, such as hyper- or hyposensitivity to certain stimuli. One aspect that particularly affects Marissa is sensory overload, a condition that occurs when any number of the body's senses becomes overwhelmed or overstimulated. Marissa said she likes to compare an overload to a traffic jam in the brain, or a bad cellphone connection she can't hang up from.

"Your sensory system is out of sync, basically, so things are intensified -- touch, smell, taste, everything. Everything is intensified," she said.

In Marissa's case, sound affects her the most.

The overload can result in migraines and "shut downs," where her vision becomes blurred, her hearing is muffled and her ability to communicate is diminished.

Marissa New and her service dog, Creed, spend Wednesday afternoon at Capaha Park.Glenn Landberg

Although she has lived with the disorder her entire life, the symptoms only intensified as time went on.

"As I got older, I realized other people didn't have these issues. Â… When I was little it was like, 'Oh, everyone feels this way,'" Marissa said.

During the journey to her diagnosis, Marissa was hospitalized several times and went through treatment programs for anxiety and other side effects of her condition.

After she decided to apply for a service animal, it took six months for her to be matched with Creed. Marissa knew he was the one the moment they met.

"He's my hero," she said.

Creed looks out over the pond at Capaha Park Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2016.Glenn Landberg

Creed, a 2-year-old husky/flat-coated retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, is a graduate of the Missouri Department of Corrections' Puppies for Parole program, which allows selected criminal offenders to socialize and train rescue dogs to help make them more adoptable.

"He actually went through an advanced Puppies for Parole program, which trains helper dogs. So they're higher trained, and they train anywhere from therapy dogs to service dogs. So there's different levels of helper dogs you can get," Marissa said.

A number of Puppies for Parole dogs are trained to become service animals, from therapy dogs that visit hospitals and schools to service dogs for children with autism, or mobility dogs for those in wheelchairs. The program also creates a more affordable option for those in need, with the only cost falling on the animal's shelter adoption fees.

Once Marissa adopted Creed, she taught him a number of tasks to help mitigate her disabilities.

"It took me about a month and a half to train him with all of the tasks," she said. "He caught on really quickly and he's a very, very smart dog."

Marissa New and her service dog, Creed spend Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2016 in Capaha Park.Glenn Landberg

Creed knows four different tasks, including watching Marissa's back when people are behind her or approaching from behind; blocking to keep strangers a certain distance away from her while in crowds; applying deep pressure on her lap, chest or legs to help regulate her sensory system; and stopping unwanted anxious behaviors such as scratching or fidgeting. He also knows to look both ways before crossing the street, and stops Marissa if cars are coming, something she may not notice if she is experiencing a shut down.

Additionally, Creed is a medical alert dog, meaning he can sense a shut down before Marissa is aware it's coming and can help her get to a safe location or brace her to prevent her from falling.

"So if he realizes that I'm becoming really, really super anxious or the sensory overload is kicking in, he can alert me about 15 to 20 minutes before I actually shut down," she said.

Since adopting Creed, Marissa said her life has changed for the better, and she has gained independence.

"Before I had him I was basically locked away in my dorm room all the time, and now I'm able to go out and do normal things," she said. "I can go shopping, I can go hang out with friends, and before I wasn't able to go to classes, and now I have the freedom to go to classes and not have to worry about shutting down or anything like that."

Marissa New and her service dog, Creed spend Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2016 in Capaha Park.Glenn Landberg

When she has downtime, Marissa said she likes to take Creed on walks by the river and to the park.

"We love doing just normal stuff that you would see a regular owner doing with a dog," she said.

Marissa has a twin sister, Lexi, who also has a service dog named Izzy. Lexi met Izzy in 2013 after being diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which is a neurological condition that affects the autonomic nervous system and causes migraines, an abnormally rapid heart rate and temporary losses of consciousness due to sudden dips in blood pressure.

Lexi's parents originally adopted Izzy through a free Facebook advertisement to provide companionship for Lexi, but she soon found Izzy was capable of becoming a service dog. Lexi took her to the K9 Training Center in Jackson, where they helped her train Izzy to become a public access service dog. They also helped Lexi task train Izzy to alert Lexi to her changes in heart rate and when she might be at risk of passing out or fainting. Izzy even helps Lexi by retreiving her phone to call for help, barking to alert others if Lexi has passed out and needs help, and with mobility issues by opening the refrigerator door or helping with laundry.

"Not only does she help me physically, but she helps me socially, as there are many nights that I can't hang out with my friends and she provides the companionship for when I am sick and by myself," Lexi said.

Marissa New and her service dog, Creed spend Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2016 in Capaha Park.Glenn Landberg

Marissa and Lexi both have experienced the win-win situation of adopting a service dog.

"Just having a companion and being able to live my life like anyone else can is amazing," Marissa said.

The American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards have been a yearly tradition since 2011. According to the awards' Facebook page, the Hero Dog Awards were created to "advance society's understanding of the powerful relationship between dogs and people." The awards are split into eight categories, from military, law enforcement and arson dogs to those for service and therapy. Each dog is paired with a charity of its owner's choice. If the animal wins in its category, AHA donates money to the dog and owner's charity.

Creed and Izzy both have been entered under the "Service" category. To vote, go to herodogawards.org/vote/. Voting will be open until April 27.

Marissa is a biomedical major and psychology minor at Southeast Missouri State University. She said she hopes to become a neuropsychologist once she graduates.

"I want to help people just like me," she said.

And, through thick and thin, Creed will be right there beside her.

"He's just improved my life immensely," she said. "Not only is he there for me, but he needs me and I need him. We aren't alone anymore."