Hi, my name is Pia, I’m 62 years old, from Aarhus, Denmark. I used to live and work as a teacher at a folk high school in western Jutland. My life was very social, filled with great colleagues and young people. I loved my life and thought it would last for many years to come, but when I was 56, six years ago, I was diagnosed with dementia, and I lost everything. I lost my beloved job, my home, and my partner. I moved back to Aarhus, where I’m originally from, but because of my new life situation, I had far too many hours at home, alone. So, I ended up getting a dog to ease the loneliness. His name is Charlie. He’s a curly-haired guy, full of energy and always in a good mood, and he’s now become my life companion. It wasn’t easy at first. I knew nothing about having a dog, and Charlie had a hard time being around both people and other dogs, so my life narrowed in to contain mostly me and Charlie.
Then one day, my neighbor Ulla knocked on my door and told me that people with Alzheimer’s dementia could now get their dog trained to become a service dog. We quickly submitted an application, and just two weeks later there was another knock at the door. It was Trine, who said: “Are you ready to train your dog?” So began a year and a half of intensive training, for both me and Charlie, that changed our lives. Charlie liked to be in charge, but he’s no longer allowed to call the shots. Now we have a shared language and a partnership that allows Charlie to go everywhere with me. We can even have guests over and enjoy it. When I put on his vest and say the command “stay close”, he knows he’s at work. When I click my tongue, he sits and stays put, for example, when we have visitors. As a certi-fied service dog, Charlie is allowed to go everywhere with me: into stores, cinemas, on planes, trains, to meetings with politicians, and everywhere else you can imagine. This means that Charlie and I can experience and explore the world together, and that his little heart is always close to mine, reminding me that I am never alone.