To Emily Thomas, her dog Sawyer is her everything.

"Having Sawyer has been a constant, a witness and a companionship [with] unconditional love, which is not something that you are receiving in abuse," she said.

He stayed by her side during one of the toughest times in her life.

"It's very hard, as they say, to extricate yourself from abuse primarily because your worldview has been completely deteriorated to the point that you're not sure what you're experiencing," said Thomas.

She endured that abuse until violence escalated.

"I could've quite literally died, but I also think that part of my true survival was my connection to and utilization of resources, like Crisis Center North," she said.

Crisis Center North helped her take Sawyer with her as she left her abuser through the PAWS pr

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