Saint Lowman is a purebred Lab who was born in 2010. She was bred Guiding Eyes for the Blind and then became part of a program called NEADS, which worked closely with prison inmates to train service dogs. Once she graduated from the program, she was matched with Dr. Lowman. She was trained as a mobility service dog and had the qualities Dr. J needed in a service dog. Saint was able to be calm and respectful in crowded areas, dealing with many people.
Since moving in with Dr. Lowman when she was 18 months Saint has been a busy girl. She goes to work at the University of Maine at Presque Isle every work day with Dr. Lowman. She sits in on classes, opens specially equipped doors that she can pull open using her mouth and helps Dr. Lowman with tasks throughout the day, such as getting in and out of clothing and picking up dropped items.
Because of Dr. Lowman’s work, Saint gets to travel a lot. She loves car rides and hiking with Dr. J. She doesn’t mind plane rides, but landing is always rough. Dr. Lowman’s hiking adventures have been amazing for Saint. She adores sleeping in a tent and would probably prefer it over her own comfy bed at home. She also loves being on the trail and smelling all the wonderful smells of the outdoors, as well as swimming when she can.
She travels to everyday places, too, such as the car garage, grocery store, vet and even gas stations. She appreciates all the places individually and everything that they offer for her to experience. The people there are always kind to her and her Mummy and appreciate all the hard work she does, just like we do.
Saint has had some hard times, too, just like everyone. Her family originally had four members: Saint, Dr. Lowman, Dr. Lowman’s mother and their dog Tuva. Unfortunately, both Tuva and Dr. Lowman’s mother are no longer with us. While Saint struggled with this when it happened, she tries to focus on the positives in life whenever she can. There was also a point in her life when Dr. Lowman was very ill and Saint and her friend Kim-Anne Perkins were unsure if she would be okay. Saint kept her conscious all night until she finally regained the ability to focus and dialed for help in the morning. She was in a hospital for weeks after that, her health finally stabilizing. This near-death experience inspired Dr. Lowman to create BEYOND LIMITS and she is forever grateful to Saint for keeping her awake and alive that night. She has gone above and beyond her duties as a service dog.
More recently, Saint has become a big sister. Dusty is Dr. Lowman’s second service dog and another Lab. Saint has adjusted very well to Dusty’s presence. She takes her big sister role very serious, making sure to teach Dusty the proper way to behave and help Dr. Lowman. The family of three has been getting along quite nicely since Dusty’s arrival.