Haley has had seizures for much of her life and Goodwin wanted to find a way to give herself some peace of mind and her daughter more independence.

"We checked into it about a year ago and it was going to cost upwards of $20,000," Goodwin said. "We had a friend who learned about SAM on television."

SAM — Service Animals of Mississippi — is a project of the Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. It provides trained service, therapy and companion dogs for children, youth and adults with disabilities.

Working in conjunction with South Mississippi Canine Consultants and LIFE of Mississippi, the Institute for Disability Studies will provide training, placement and follow-up for dog teams. SAM's goal is to increase the independence, productivity and community participation and inclusion of people with disabilities by providing professionally trained assistance dogs that will form a lifetime bond with the consumer.

"It's a great program and we've been highly blessed," Goodwin said.

After extensive training with Gracie, Haley, a Pearl River Central High School junior, will be able to take the Labradoodle wherever she goes.

"Maybe then she will help me and learn what to do and keep me safe," Haley said.

While spending time with Gracie recently, Haley's sneeze caught Gracie's attention. Just as Haley sneezed a second time, Gracie's watchful eye turned to her potential owner.

"That's exactly what she's supposed to do," said Deborah Comeaux, SAM program coordinator. "She knows something is wrong."

That response will eventually help Gracie to sense when Haley is about to have a seizure.

"Her sense of smell plays some part in it," Comeaux said. "We can't really teach a dog to alert in advance but the dog has to have a bond with the person."

Nina Goodwin says Haley has had seizures pretty much all her life, and some have even sent her to the emergency room.

"Our hope is Gracie will be able to give her warning so she can get in a safe place and also give her a bit of freedom and independence to go to college and work."

Training is extensive, and Comeaux estimates it may be 12 to 18 months before Gracie goes home with the Goodwin family. The process includes obedience training, socialization skills to teach dogs how to react in public environments and deal with noisy surroundings.

"Then there will be task training based on the client's needs," she said.

There are dogs trained for medical response that includes going for help, dialing 911 on a specialized telephone pad or retrieving a patient's medications.

Comeaux said Gracie will stay with Haley and her family for an extended period and gradually be integrated into Haley's everyday life.

"The two will graduate as a team," she said.

SAM also follows up with the team after graduation to make sure dogs are following tasks and to see if additional training is necessary.

Comeaux also wants to do public outreach to speak to groups about service dogs.

"It's quite a comprehensive process," she said. "This is our second year of doing the program. We want to continue because there is such a need for it in Mississippi."

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Information from Hattiesburg American