NAPLES (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- When the summer tourists leave the Naples causeway, and things quiet down you might be lucky enough to catch Dolly Pawton, a black lab who loves to fly.
Dolly is a dock dog.
"In New Hampshire she jumped 14'11 which is the top of the Junior division," says her proud owner, Amy Sherwood. Amy and Dolly compete in events throughout New England... when it's possible.
"I’ve had the wheelchair for five years; I’ve only been in it consistently for three." The wheels, and Amy's fixed income make getting to and from competitions difficult.
"I’ve been blessed with Seacoast Dock Dogs and Green Mountain Dock Dogs, they’ve helped me," says Amy. "They’ve had people pick me up and carry me in the wheelchair to the top of the dock so we can compete. I wouldn't be able to do it without people’s help because I can’t get on the dock on my own."
On the dock, Dolly can barely contain her excitement, but when Amy switches her vest Dolly knows it's time to get to work. Dolly is a service dog for Amy, who was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency 15 years ago.
"I also have a condition called POTS which fluctuates your blood pressure, so when you stand up you pass out," Amy explains. "The chair gives me normalcy. I have full function of my legs, I just can’t stand up to use them."
Dolly also gives Amy a sense of normalcy, getting her out of the house and doing more activities, and when things start to take a turn for Amy, Dolly steps up. "The last event we went to before the world qualifier, I ended up passing out and Dolly jumped out of the car and got help."
Because of her limited mobility, Amy was a bit nervous when Dolly qualified for the DockDogs World Championships in Tennessee, but she knew she had to find a way to get there.
"One of my mothers friends started a Go Fund Me page so we could go and one of the major reasons why was she knew I was going to sleep in my car once I got there just to make sure we compete," admits Amy. The Go Fund Me page raised more than a thousand dollars, and business owners in her hometown of Bridgton started collecting for the two to make the trek to Knoxville; so many people all eager to see Dolly's hard work pay off.
"It's been a blessing," says Amy, who knows a thank you will never be enough. "To have her go and compete and let people know that service dogs can be normal dogs, sometimes they need a break just like everyone else," she says. "I’m able to give back to her in a way I never thought I could because she’s been able to give me a life I never thought I could have."
To follow Dolly Pawton's adventures, click here.