When Sherry Vinson first saw Luc, the connection was instantaneous.

“We bonded right away,” she said. “I would choose Luc even if he was not a service dog and I was not disabled. I chose Luc and he chose me. From the minute I walked in, he looked at me and walked right at my pace.”

Vinson, who has primary lateral sclerosis, a progressive disorder that affects her speech and mobility, contacted the nonprofit group Summit Assistance Dogs several years ago. At the end of April, after two weeks of intensive one-on-one training with two-year-old yellow lab Luc, Vinson brought him to her home on Orcas.

Luc helps her with a variety of tasks, including picking up items that she drops, opening doors, and transferring laundry from the dryer to the clothes basket. He also braces Vinson if she starts to fall.

Luc knows close to 40 commands, and Vinson says it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“I am so impressed with the quality of our interaction,” she said. “It’s remarkable. I am in awe of the whole process.”

Luc was originally trained to be guide dog for the blind. After he developed food allergies, he was donated to Summit Assistance, an organization based in Anacortes that provides highly skilled mobility, hearing and therapy dogs for people with disabilities. The average waiting time for applications is two to five years, as dogs undergo advanced training before they are ready to be placed. Orcas resident Emily Smith is currently training a lab/collie mix named Fisher to one day be an assistance dog.

When Vinson got the news that a new batch of canines was ready to be matched with applicants, she worked with four dogs – and Luc stood out.

“The joy he is bringing to me is tantamount to anything he could do for me,” Vinson said. “People love a service dog. Usually I am invisible when I am out and about. But with Luc, people come up to me.”

While Luc can be petted, service dogs shouldn’t be touched without permission of the owner.

Vinson is a bona fide “dog person,” who has owned many pets in her life and done dog training. She volunteered at Orcas APS, working with dogs on basic obedience.

She says her husband, John, also adores Luc, but cannot have a lot of interaction with him until Luc is firmly bonded to her.

The first six months that he is with Vinson are considered a trial period. After that, she can officially adopt him. Summit checks in with her periodically, and a trainer is coming to visit soon to work with him on advanced tasks, like picking up the phone during an emergency.

Luc can’t go to the dog park or play fetch, as he is not allowed to become part of a pack or develop prey drive. But he can go on play dates with “close dog friends” and accompany Vinson on walks on their property.

“We get a lot of healthy play,” she said. “He’s like a young man who is training to become king. He can’t play with the commoners!”