A new local company – Molly’s Paws of Service, is offering the residents of Hood County a whole new experience for all the dog owners in town. Owners Ericia Porter and Courtney Bates started their new company about a month ago. The two women developed a strong friendship through their love of dogs and the mental illnesses they both suffer from. Ericia is the Trainer of the company and has over two year’s experience training dogs. Her mother describes her as always being drawn to dogs. She said, “When she was little, she would get out in the neighborhood or any place she would see an animal in need. She would make sure she found the owners or kept them until she found them a safe place. Erica suffers from high functioning Autism, Manic Depressive Disorder, and PTSD. Two years ago, she started her search and prayed for a dog she could train to be her service dog to assist her. Her prayers were answered when she found an eight-month-old Pitt Bull named Molly. There was an instant connection between them. She studied hard and worked with Molly every day. Now Molly is an official service dog and they are both thriving together.
Co-owner, Courtney Bates, is more of the brains
of the operation. She suffers from Major
Depression, high anxiety, severe PTSD, Bipolar
Disorder, and panic attacks. She is currently
working with Ericia to train her own service dog,
Max, and plans to continue her education to
eventually become a Trainer as well. Both women have loved ones who are Veterans. Ericia’s biological father served in the Army and her step-dad served in the Marines, both are now disabled Veterans. Courtney’s husband served in the Army and is also a disabled Veteran. So, with their shared experiences they decided to start a small business with the intent of donating at least one service dog to a local Veteran a year, with hopes that they will grow and be able to provide more local veterans with a service dog to meet their individual needs. The women also support all first responders in dedication to Courtney’s late husband, Officer Dustin Dodson, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2012. The business offers many services including pet sitting, basic training, doggy daycare, and pet walking. They also offer free consultations for each client to discuss each service and work with the client to meet their individual needs for their dog. Also, they offer discounts to military and all first responders to further show their support. Follow this local small business on Facebook at Molly’s Paws of Service and make an appointment to meet these wonderful ladies and talk about your precious fur baby.