Money needed to help purchase precious pup

After an inquiry with the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, Phil Langley bonded with "Pilot" when they met. He reckons the $50,000 labrador will make all the difference to his quality of life. Photo / Supplied

He's the $50,000 pup who Phil Langley thinks might change his life, but first he needs to raise $4000.

Mr Langley, a multiple sclerosis sufferer from Ruakaka, is fundraising for a mobility dog and had bonded with one in particular, labrador Pilot.

"It's all about keeping my independence," he said. "He helps with comfort, support and fetching things. If there's an accident, he can fetch the phone. If I've fallen out of my chair, he can bark on command to alert neighbours that something is wrong."

Training dogs capable of such feats costs up to $50,000, and clients needed to raise $4000 of this themselves - the figure Mr Langley was aiming for via a Givealittle page.

Multiple sclerosis refers to areas of scarring throughout the brain and spinal cord and when the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibres. It caused communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body and can lead to permanent nerve damage.

Mr Langley was diagnosed 28 years ago and had degenerated over that time. He had been in a wheelchair for about six years and said the key to MS was continuously adapting.

He had read an article about mobility dogs and pursued the idea via a contact at CCS, where he volunteered.

Naturally right handed, Mr Langley had recently learnt to paint with his left as a way of strengthening it.

Mr Langley is a committee member with CCS Disability Action and volunteered with Riding for the Disabled, though he initially joined the organisation as a rider. About 1 in 1000 New Zealanders have MS. The Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust is authorised under the Dog Control Act to certify assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities.

Training the dogs was a lengthy process and it had placed 50 dogs with disabled people since 2005 and had another 25 at various stages in their training. Mr Langley was to set up his Givealittle page today - The Advocate will publish the link once it is available.