Mystique: A dream of a service dog

Cheyenne Curts is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new service dog, Mystique, next month.

By Claire Pajka

Though dogs are often just praised as best friends and beloved pets, Cheyenne Curts’ dog Mystique can literally, as well as figuratively, open doors for her.

Curts is a lifelong resident of Manchester, currently raising money to pay for the training of her service dog, Mystique–a Siberian Husky matched with Curts through the organization Above the Clouds Siberian Service Dogs.

Curts explained that as her disabilities progressed after surviving severe sepsis twice, it became clear to her, her family, and her medical team that she needed the assistance of a service dog more than ever before. Service dogs provide assistance and independence to those with disabilities, and Mystique is trained in multiple tasks ranging from opening doors and retrieving daily medications, to triggering a medical alert device that signals 911 responders of Curts’ GPS location in the event of a medical emergency. Mystique is doing a phenomenal job passing all of her training milestones, and on May 26, celebrated her first birthday.

Excitingly, Curts has been given a date to meet and train with Mystique for the first time, and eventually bring her
to her new Michigan home in July! However, because Mystique continues training after she arrives home, Curts’ fundraising efforts don’t end then.

Due to COVID-19 shutdowns over the past few months, Curts’ fundraising efforts have shifted and adapted, and now take the form of monthly, socially-distanced bottle and can drives. This collection will be active throughout June and July, and there is a drop off location in Manchester at 14248 East Austin Road, where bags of cans and bottles may be placed in front of a gray shed after the long driveway. Curts also has an active GoFundMe page open for donations titled Service Dog for Cheyenne (available here). As of June 12, Cheyenne had reached $3,583 of her $6,000 goal.

Curts described Mystique as life-changing and her “new dream,” and says that the best way for readers to follow her journey to get Mystique is through the updates on her GoFundMe page or through her Facebook profile. She thanks everyone who has donated and is grateful for the support she has received from the Manchester community.

If you would like to donate to help Cheyenne and Mystique, you may drop off cans and bottles at 14248 East Austin Road, Manchester MI, 48158, or donate directly to her GoFundMe page at the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/1sz53tors0

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.