NICOLA Smith is an example of how help can be found from an unlikely source.

Nicola, from Chepstow, has a condition called fibromyalgia and was partnered with canine friend Oreo in last year.

Oreo was given to Nicola by the charity Canine Partners The charity assists people with disabilities to enjoy a greater independence through the provision of specially trained dogs.

“It affects me in many ways, from emotional issues to physical ones,” Nicola says. “One day I can walk with the use of a crutch, other days I need my scooter to go any distance.

“Fibromyalgia can cause anxiety and this had a knock on effect for me as I became withdrawn and scared to go out of the house alone and chose a life inside my home. I was only going out with my husband or with a dog.”

After her previous dog Holly retired, Nicola was left without help until she was partnered with Oreo.

“One day, I came across an old leaflet from Canine Partners. I read through it and put it to the side but it stayed at the back of my mind all day. I even got up that night and read through it again. I decided to apply, and eventually met Oreo for the first time. This was the beginning for both of us, the beginning of something wonderful.

“Oreo and I have come a long way together. We had a bit of a bumpy start in the first month we were home. This all culminated with me burning myself out and it was decided that Oreo would `go back to school` for two weeks while I pulled myself together.

“Oreo does not say things to me like ‘but you don`t look disabled,’ she accepts me for me, good days and bad days. I drop so many things and Oreo is right there to pick it up so I do not have to get down on the floor and pull myself back up.

“After a fall at the end of our first year I cracked my ribs and pulled the muscles as well as damaged my knee. I found any form of bending painful. One evening I was struggling to take my sock off when Oreo got up, took hold of it really gently and tugged it off. That deserved a treat and praise. She continued to take the other one off, followed by my trousers. She now does it regularly and enjoys it.

“Oreo is so much fun and makes me laugh every day, a cheeky monkey. It is as if she knows what makes me laugh and I thank her for that.”

Visit the website: www.caninepartners.org.uk for more information about Canine Partners and the work they do for people with disabilities.