Harvey the Wonder Dog at Dorking Leisure Centre

Members of Harpers Fitness at Dorking Leisure Centre are treated to an interesting sight when Gillian McCluskey arrives for her workout. Unlike a lot of us, Gillian doesn’t have a personal trainer by her side making sure she’s not over straining herself; she has Harvey, one of only ten Seizure Alert Dogs working in the UK today.

Gillian and Harvey work out three times a week using the facilities at Harpers. Gillian usually spends an hour there, varying her session on the rower to the cross trainer and has even started on some CV work, although Harvey keeps her in check by letting her know if she’s putting herself under strain.

Gillian suffers from temporal lobe epilepsy and has done for most of her life. “Before Harvey, I couldn’t leave the house alone or be left by myself; I was entirely dependent upon friends, family and carers. Harvey’s been in my life for nine years now and the difference he makes is unbelievable. He’s been trained to detect changes in my stress levels made by the electrical activity in my brain and gives me up to 45 minutes notice of an approaching epileptic fit.”

“The staff at Harpers in Dorking have all been trained to recognise Harvey’s warning signs and how best to react. It usually starts off with him shivering slightly and whimpering, and he’ll start to paw at my leg if I’m distracted. We go somewhere safe and Harvey sits on my chest until the seizure has passed, then he jumps off and licks my face until I regain consciousness and say his name; that’s his signal to stop. He’s given me my life back, he’s my saviour and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Gillian’s condition is aggravated by high levels of stress and a regular course of exercise is an excellent form of therapy to reduce this. At Harpers, we welcome the opportunity to work alongside members of the public who are in therapy or are rehabilitating themselves. Gillian and Harvey are an exceptional case and everyone at the gym in Dorking is happy to help and support them both along the way.

It’s amazing to think that over 450,000 people suffer from epilepsy in the UK and there are only ten dogs like Harvey currently working. Support Dogs, a charity based in Sheffield, trains rescue dogs to assist people with a variety of disabilities and with each dog costing in the region of £10,000 to train and support for life, they rely entirely on the public’s support.

To find out more about Support Dogs and their current projects please visit www.support-dogs.org.uk