A woman living in my home city of Fargo, North Dakota is seeking a new Service Dog, and she’s going to need help to get one. The following is an excerpt from her Go Fund Me page:
… My current Service Dog is well into retirement age and can no longer perform certain tasks that I need her to do. It is time that she is allowed to just be a dog.
I have Severe Complex PTSD and Bipolar Disorder. Since Sadie came into my life as my Service Dog I have had so many doors opened to me that never would have been opened… The first time I started to have a flashback she started pounding on my chest until I fully connected with her, thus grounding me in the present and thereby diffusing the situation… She knows that I am going to have an anxiety attack before I do! She will paw at me and let me know I need to remove myself from a situation when I am getting anxious.
These are only 3 of the many things she did for me (waking me up from night terrors or nightmares, forcing me out of bed to walk and feed her when I am gripped by depression, telling me when to take my meds , alerting me when I was driving anxiously/recklessly b/c I was anxious or manic). Other tasks, or explanations of tasks can be found here.
Now this amount is no where near how much it will cost me to adopt, fix, train, and buy equipment (vest and patches) for my new Service Dog, but it will help. Adoption fees are $175, the low cost spay & neuter clinic told me it would cost $115. Then there is training. $10 per session of one on one training… Also, though not required, the ADA prefers that all Service Dogs pass the Canine Good Citizenship test.
If you wish to contribute, head to Go Fund Me to help this lady meet the payments and access the resources she needs.
Do you have a service animal?
If so, how do they help you with your day-to-day life?
Do they aid you with a physical disability or a mental disability?
What are the challenges you’ve faced in having a service animal?
Answer these questions in the comments if you wish!
– Särah Nour
Writing for Recovery 