Monte and K9 Sheila

MY NAME IS MONTE. I GREW UP IN NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN. IN 1994, I GRADUATED FROM CVTC IN EAU CLAIRE, WI WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN POLICE SCIENCE. I CURRENTLY LIVE IN WISCONSIN ON A HOBBY FARM. I AM MARRIED AND HAVE THREE ADULT CHILDREN.
I WORKED FOR SEVERAL SMALL DEPARTMENTS IN WI. WORKING IN A SMALL AGENCY, MY ROLE VARIED FROM THE AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR, PATROL OFFICER AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER. MANY OF THE CALLS WE HANDLE ARE DONE BY OURSELVES, WITHOUT A SECOND OFFICER.
I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A SMALL TOWN POLICE CHIEF. THIS WAS MY DREAM JOB. YEARS OF NUMEROUS TRAUMATIC EVENTS WITH INDIVIDUALS I WAS FAMILIAR WITH, STARTED ACCUMULATING FOR ME. I ASSISTED WITH A CALL INVOLVING THE DEATH OF A JUVENILE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. AFTER THIS CALL, I SPIRALED DOWNWARD. I STRUGGLED WITH INSOMNIA AND WAS HYPERVIGILANT. I BEGAN HAVING MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION ISSUES.
IN APRIL 2023, I SAW A CALL ON MY SQUAD COMPUTER SCREEN, WHICH WAS THE
SAME NATURE OF THE DECEASED JUVENILE. I IMMEDIATELY FELT NAUSEOUS. | COULD FEEL MY BLOOD PRESSURE RAISE. I FOUND OUT LATER, THAT I HAD APANIC ATTACK. I DECIDED I COULDN'T CONTINUE WORKING IN THAT CONDITION. I BEGAN TREATMENT FOR PTSD. I CURRENTLY AM ATTENDING THERAPY. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF RETIRING EARLY DUE TO PTSD.
MY WIFE TOLD ME SEVERAL TIMES THAT I WOULD BENEFIT FROM A PTSD SERVICE DOG. I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE A TRAINING SPOT FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS WORSE OFF THAN I WAS. IN DECEMBER 2023, WE GOT A PUPPY NAMED "SHEILA". AFTER SPENDING TIME WITH SHEILA, I HAVE REALIZED HOW MUCH I WOULD BENEFIT FROM A SERVICE DOG. I CONTACTED SOLDIER'S 6 AND AM EXCITED TO TRAIN WITH SHEILA.