Dog Rescue Story: Homeless Pit Bull Becomes the Perfect Service Dog
When Matthew Smith first set eyes on Jericho, a young Pit Bull rescue who would soon become his personal service dog, he knew it would be life-changing.
Matthew Smith was 22 years old in June 1994 when he was involved in a high-speed motorcycle accident. “I hit a car, flew up and hit the traffic light, and then flew 262 feet in the air until I landed in the median strip and slid into oncoming traffic,” says Smith.
One of the major injuries from the accident was a broken pelvis fracture, which also stretched the nerves in Smith’s legs and caused him to lose all feeling—other than nerve pain—in his right leg and left foot. Smith was told he would never walk again, but he refused to accept the diagnosis. “After 5½ months in shock trauma and in-house rehab, I walked out of rehab using crutches; I now use crutches and a wheelchair every day to get around,” says Smith.
Despite the progress, the accident changed Smith’s life forever. “Using a wheelchair and crutches every day has taken a toll on my body, and I have had three broken bones caused from overdoing or pushing my limits—as well as basically destroying both shoulders,” explains Smith. “Because of the wear and tear on my joints, it got to the point where it hurt to get around. Instead of giving up and getting a power wheelchair, I decided to look into a service dog.”
But the search wasn’t easy. Smith was told he had to wait a couple of years to be approved for a service dog program—and then an additional 1–2 years before being matched with a trained dog. “The wait time really put me off of the idea,” says Smith.
A few years later, Smith explored training a dog himself, but the cost—around $15,000—was out of reach. It wasn’t until he posted on social media about his search that he learned about a nonprofit organization offering free service dog training.
The goal of FurPetVo’s Assistance Dog Program is to pair disabled individuals with trained service dogs—and to prove that even breeds often unfairly stigmatized can make exceptional companions.
“The program was started approximately six years ago in an effort to meet our mission of securing equal treatment and opportunity for Pit Bull dogs,” says Erich Steffensen, special programs manager at FurPetVo’s Assistance Dog Program. “Our main focus is to provide a well-trained assistance dog while showing that rescued and sheltered Pit Bulls can be considered for the same work as purebred dogs.”
All dogs in the program are rescued from shelters, and any Pit Bull breed qualifies as long as they meet key behavioral standards. “The dogs need to be confident and nonreactive to people, animals, and their environment,” Steffensen explains.
“I contacted FurPetVo and got in contact with their trainer, Apryl Lea,” says Smith. “I was a good candidate, and she started to look for a dog that would be a good match for me.”
A few months later, Lea arranged a meeting for Smith to meet the dog she’d been training with him in mind. That dog was Jericho—a 2-year-old Pit Bull who had been found wandering the streets of Florida and taken into a local shelter. “This is where the story of Jericho and I begins,” says Smith.
When asked about that first meeting, Smith says the connection was immediate. “The connection Jericho and I had was life-changing,” he recalls.
Unfortunately, Jericho still needed to complete his specialized training before moving in with Smith—an additional five months. “It seemed like forever,” says Smith. “Total training took about 18 months—a little longer than normal—because he had to learn when to pull my wheelchair and when not to; he needed to understand the difference so he wouldn’t pull while I’m walking.” Jericho finally moved in with Smith in November 2013.
How Life Has Changed for Jericho and Matthew
Jericho can now pull Smith’s wheelchair, retrieve dropped items, open doors, and help him get up if he falls. “He definitely helps me open up to people when I’m out in public,” says Smith. “I would normally be very self-conscious when I go out, but now with Jericho, I feel as though everyone is looking at him and not me.”
When asked about their life together, Smith highlights just how clever and full of personality Jericho is. “He’s so smart that you can tell him to get a specific dog toy from the living room, and he’ll go and fetch exactly the one you asked for,” Smith says. “His eyes show human traits—you can see the intelligence behind them.”
Jericho is also a very laid-back dog who takes his job seriously—and is happiest simply being with his person. That said, this loving dog didn’t have an easy start. “Jericho is deathly afraid of any explosion or gunfire,” says Smith. “We think he ran away from wherever he lived during some scary incident likely involving yelling, gunfire, or loud banging—based on his reaction to sudden noises.”
While that means Jericho won’t attend fireworks displays on the Fourth of July, Smith is completely fine with it. “Jericho not only helped me with getting around, but also helped me fill needs I never thought I had,” he says. “I never knew that I needed—or had any issues with—stress or anxiety until Jericho filled those needs.”
