Escaping abuse MY DOG SAVED MY LIFE

FEARS FOR HER ENDANGERED POOCH GAVE STEPHANIE THE COURAGE TO WALK AWAY

- Leena Tailor

As she emerged from a dark and dire tunnel involving domestic violence, depression, and losing all confidence, a beautiful dog named Gremlin helped animal lover Stephanie* see the light.

“Pets give you unconditional love. They helped me heal,” the South Islander reflects. “I held onto Gremlin when I wasn’t feeling good. I could cry to my pets, tell them everything, and share my hopes and dreams without them thinking I was stupid.”

It was late Gremlin who also helped Stephanie, 65, muster up the courage to leave a tumultuous three-year relationship.

Walking out marked a fresh start for Stephanie, who started getting pets after becoming a young mum at 18. Her first dog, Barney, taught her the importance of an animal’s emotional wellbeing.

“There’s more to having a pet than feeding, washing and exercising it,” she tells. “There’s the emotional part – loving and caring for them.”

Eager to further her education once her three children were in high school, the solo mum completed a business course and started working at Porirua Community Law Centre.

However, due to her difficult home life, she was taken in by Women’s Refuge, where she continued raising her children until a friend helped her move to Invercargill.