A student, her service dog, and the power of healing – ClarkCountyToday.com

Sage Edwards suffers from PTSD and anxiety, and Feargus the German shorthaired lab is there for her, to bring her calm and confidence

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

A thought creeps into one’s mind.

Then another thought. And another.

Each new thought is worse than the previous one.

This is the downward spiral for a person with anxiety. It can be paralyzing.

For a service animal with a combination of natural instincts and training, it is a call to action.

“When things start going downhill, one of his biggest things for me is body pressure,” said Sage Edwards, referring to the actions of her service dog Feargus. “He’ll lean on me. If it gets really bad, he gets on my lap. He leans his chest against mine, and he wraps his head around my shoulder. We call it a hug.”

Feargus, a German shorthaired lab, stops the anxiety attack.

“The first time it happens to you, it is a life-changing experience,” said Edwards, an 18-year old who has suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety for 10 years, since the passing of an older brother.

Feargus (pronounced like Fergus) has been with Sage, as a service dog, for five years. Sage, matter of factly, says she is not sure she would be here without Feargus.

Not only is Sage Edwards here living life, she is thriving.

As one of the top students in her field from Hayes Freedom High School in Camas and a full-time Running Start scholar at Clark College, it is clear that senior Sage Edwards is going places.

Only she is not going alone.

A week ago, she was one of a select number of students from all of Clark County who was invited to the Careers in Construction job fair. Feargus was by her side.

It just so happens that Sage and her mother trained Feargus to become a certified service animal. 

Now Sage, an aspiring architect, has a part-time job in her mom’s company — Camas Canine Coach. Sage and Feargus have only recently gone out in public together. Sage is a trainer. 

“My mom was the lead trainer,” Sage said of Nancie Edwards. “She first learned to train service dogs by training him. He’s basically our prototype. Now I get to learn how to be a trainer out in the world, managing myself along with him.

“We spent the last couple years building up to it, building my skills,” Sage said of her training. “Now I’m flying solo.”

Well not exactly solo. 

There’s Feargus. Always.

So much of a part of Sage’s life, Feargus is in Sage’s senior pictures.

The Edwards family has always had a love for animals.

When tragedy struck the family, working with animals eventually saved the family.

“When I was 8, my oldest brother died in the room next to me,” Sage explained. “Physically, about six feet from where I was sleeping.”

Independence “Indy” Charles Edwards died in an accident in the home. 

“After that day, my whole family went into severe grief and depression,” Sage said, noting that it would take almost two years to emerge. 

“It was a long, long road of figuring out how to manage that and how to survive that,” Sage said.

Parents Nancie and Topher Edwards, and their surviving children Bright and Sage, were at a crossroads. 

The family had fostered animals before Indy’s passing, and they believed such an activity would help.

Clearly, it did.

At one point, the family was fostering 11 puppies, two dogs, and seven cats.

A cat named Luma was naturally alert to Sage’s anxiety.

“He would sit on my chest. He pretty much said, ‘Chill out. I’m going to sit here. You can pet me, and I’ll purr.’”

That was a moment when the family realized the powerful connection that animals had with humans.

“They helped us learn how to survive,” Sage said.

A few things can trigger a PTSD episode for Sage, but when it happens, she freezes and cannot do anything. For an anxiety attack, it is about spiraling thoughts. She cannot process or think. 

“He interrupts that behavior,” Sage said of Feargus.

When Feargus answers the call, and Sage snaps out of the episode, she simply says, “I’ve got it. Good boy. Can you settle?”

Feargus quickly returns to his ready position. 

Interestingly, Feargus’ official name is King Feargus, but he only responds to Feargus. So when Sage introduces Feargus to strangers, she says his name is King. That way, if a person tries to talk or get King’s attention, Feargus will not respond. 

Feargus wears a vest with warnings: “Working dog. Do not pet.” Another label on the vest notes “P.T.S.D. Dog.” 

Still, there are some who do not grasp the concept. They try to pet him, or get him to interact with them. 

Sorry, he is working. 

Another issue for Sage and those like her, their disability is invisible.

Feargus is a certified service animal, recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Feargus is able to go wherever Sage goes. Sage noted there have been times, however, when they have been denied service from people who do not understand or do not know the law.

“People will say, ‘You don’t look disabled. You look fine. You don’t need a service dog.’ I do look fine. You can’t see it because you can’t see inside my brain,” Sage explained. “Eighty percent of the time, I’m a normal kid. No one would know anything is going on. That other 20 percent? I can’t function normally without him.”

Feargus brings Sage not only comfort, but also confidence. 

These days, Sage has got big dreams, ready to conquer the world.

“Sage has had to be brave through her panic attacks and go out in the world,” Nancie Edwards said. “She has had to trust that dog and build that bond, so she can live a full and rewarding life. She has a lot of gifts to give. He’s going to allow her to do that for the world.”

Sage works part time for Camas Canine Coach, training dogs 16 hours a week. 

“She has a lot of animal sense,” Nancie said. “She’s patient, kind, and consistent.”

The Edwards family knows all about the benefits of service animals. Still, that does not mean it is Sage’s calling, to train animals.

Nope, she plans on attending the University of Washington to earn her Master’s degree in architecture. Working for her mom is a step in the process.

“She is teaching me how to build my own business so I can create my own firm,” Sage said.

Sage also has created a bridge connecting her love for dogs and architecture. Recently, she designed and built a dog’s playground structure for a family friend. That experience is a theme of her senior presentation that she is scheduled to present this week in anticipation of next month’s graduation.

She also detailed her struggles, and then her triumphs using various forms of therapy, including art therapy, in her senior paper.  

Life is busy for Sage Edwards and there are no signs of slowing. She is going to need her rest.

Oh, Feargus helps with that, too.

“Sometimes I toss and turn because my anxiety keeps my mind going and I can’t get to sleep. ‘Back’ is a command where he gets on my bed and he lays across my back and he holds me down. I fall asleep almost instantly,” Sage explained.

“He’s a living, heated, weighted blanket.”