Kelly's Story
"I can still vividly remember thinking and feeling... I am going to die."
December 16, 2019. I can still vividly remember thinking and feeling… I am going to die.
The house we shared, my home, was ransacked and vandalized. I remember the dread settling in as I realized he could kill my dog right in front of me. Irreplaceable belongings tied to the memory of both my parents were destroyed before my eyes. I was beaten, thrown, and strangled, consumed by fear and horror unlike anything I had ever known. When it was over, there were blood-stained walls and a hole in the sheetrock from where my head had hit.
But the truth is, the possibility of death had been there all along, hidden beneath lies, deceit, and manipulation that I didn’t yet see. What remained afterward revealed everything I hadn’t wanted to believe. I now know he pursued me with the intent to abuse me. He married me with the intent to control me. And I believe he drugged me, to make me sick, to render me unconscious, to violate me.
Even after the violence ended, the terror did not. Once legal proceedings began, the stalking followed, both physical and virtual. I lived in constant fear. Powerless. Hopeless. Isolated. Out of control. Terrified all the time.
The abuse I endured didn’t end with him. It was magnified by the criminal justice and family court systems that failed to protect me. I reached out repeatedly, desperate for help, only to be told there was nothing anyone could do. I experienced firsthand what so many survivors know too well: a system that is deeply broken. It was at that lowest point, when I felt I had lost every ounce of safety and control, that I decided: I would find a way to take my life back.
Stella came into my life on August 6, 2020.
My first German Shepherd. My first trained protection dog. I remember the exact moment I met her. The trainer brought her out, and she sat down right beside me, calm, steady, and watchful. As I gently ran my hand along her back, a stranger began to approach. Without hesitation, Stella placed her paw across my ankle. It was subtle, protective, certain, as if she was telling me, I’ve got you now.
In that moment, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: safety. Real safety. Not just from danger, but from the fear that had been living inside me. I knew instantly that I needed her, not only for physical protection, but for my emotional healing.
"The positive impact my dogs and their training have had on me as a survivor of domestic violence has been profound. It has healed me."
Experiencing domestic violence shatters you in ways that are hard to put into words. Finding safety, peace, and yourself again can feel impossible. But bringing Stella home changed everything for me.
She became the bridge between who I was and who I was becoming. With her by my side, I began to rebuild piece by piece. I started to feel safe leaving the house again. I found structure and routine. I learned how to emotionally connect again, not through fear or survival, but through love and trust.
I began spending time with friends. I laughed. I trusted. I smiled. I rediscovered purpose. I started to come back to life.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like a victim. Stella breathed life back into me, and in doing so, she set me on a new path. A path that would change everything.
As I continued her training, I realized it wasn’t just Stella who was growing stronger. I was, too. The discipline, connection, and confidence that came through protection work gave me something I’d never experienced before: belonging.
I fell in love with training, with the structure, the focus, the partnership it demanded. It became a form of healing, a language of trust and strength that didn’t need words.
Eventually, I welcomed Luca, my next German Shepherd, into my life as an eight-week-old puppy with the goal of competing in Schutzhund, a sport built on obedience, tracking, and protection. He earned his first title, and I felt a new kind of pride, one rooted in perseverance and purpose.
Protection dogs and the training behind them have become a cornerstone of my life. The transformation they’ve brought me as a survivor has been profound. They have given me freedom, safety, control, and confidence. They’ve restored my sense of self-worth, independence, and power. The positive impact my dogs and their training have had on me as a survivor of domestic violence has been profound. It has healed me.
This is the reason Kelly’s K9s, Tails of Courage exists. I know what it feels like to live in constant fear, and I know what it feels like to finally breathe again. I want every survivor to know that feeling. Through this nonprofit, I hope to give other survivors the same chance I was given: A chance to stand tall again. To feel safe again. To reclaim control, confidence, and courage. To find themselves again through the love, loyalty, and protection of a dog who will stand by them, no matter what.