Tonya and Jet: Life Worth Living Again

Tonya has been in law enforcement in some form since she was 14, starting as a police cadet for the Rapid City Police Department. In 2005, she began at the Humane Society as an animal control officer, working to rescue animals and enforce laws against abuse and neglect. She later worked as a cruelty investigator for the city of Lewisville, Texas, before returning to Rapid City and joining the Box Elder Police Department. In 2017, she was run over by a drunk driver while working a car accident and received a medal for "above and beyond the call of duty" for saving another officer's life.

On May 11, 2018, Tonya clocked in for work when a call came across the radio of a house fire and shots fired. The address was her own home. She arrived to witness the fire and the sounds of ammunition going off inside, knowing her brother and animals were inside. Her animals made it out, but her brother did not — he had started the fire to take his own life. Fire was her only fear. She still struggles with the smell of fire, smoke, and sounds that trigger reminders. She buried her brother and mother on the same day. With mounting injuries and PTSD, she eventually ended her law enforcement career.

For nearly two years, Tonya has been training with her service dog, Jet Annabelle Fox, through South Dakota Service Dogs. Jet alerts her of panic attacks before they occur. She helps Tonya manage her lupus, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis — helping her up when she falls, out of the bathtub, out of her chair at work, and keeping her stable when she walks.