Rica the German Shepherd gives Melanie Donne a reason to get up in the morning.
Ms Donne (35) was given Rica in 2006 after her own dog Nikki, who pulled her from her wrecked car following a crash, died.
Animal lovers across the North Island had raised money for Nikki's costly cancer treatment.
Oamaru woman Helen Lewthwaite read of Ms Donne's plight in a pet magazine and offered Rica (then aged 1) to Ms Donne.
Rica, who lives with Ms Donne in Wanganui, is training to become a neurological disability assist dog and Mrs Lewthwaite is "absolutely rapt" about her new role.
Ms Donne is setting up the Kotuku Foundation - Assistance Animals Aotearoa - which she hopes will soon be registered with the Charities Commission.
When Nikki died, there was some money left which she decided should be used as seed funding for a new charity.
The idea had started to form while Nikki was receiving treatment.
Its aims included providing funding, education and training for therapy animals used in the fields of medicine, rest homes and at-risk youth, and to provide free or subsidised veterinary care for those unable, through circumstances beyond their control, to access that for their pets.
Ms Donne wanted to spread the message about what animals could do for people and vice-versa.
The head injury she sustained resulted in her having panic attacks which came with no warning.
She had also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rica was being trained to physically support her.
If she had a panic attack, she often lost the use of her legs and collapsed.
Rica had learned to push in against her and support her.
A pocket on Rica's jacket carried a card with Ms Donne's details if she could not speak and Rica was also being trained to fetch her a phone.
While Rica did not have the same legal status as a guide dog, Ms Donne said there had been a "wonderful" response from businesses and agencies to the dog accompanying her, with one "glaring omission" - Massey University where she had hoped to study.
Rica had saved her life in a different way from Nikki.
She plunged into "terrible depression" when Nikki died and she still missed her enormously but now she had Rica to focus on, she said.
