Puppy For Independence

My name is Phoebe, and I am 20 years old. I am living life with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s Disease, Connective Tissue Disorder and more. With a body that is in constant turmoil against itself and the rest of the world I struggle with everyday things. This doesn’t mean I don’t have good days, this just means that most days I need help with things. It is not uncommon that I have to ask my husband to help me get dressed, or pick things up for me when I am in flare and am unable to use my hands or other parts of my body. I often can’t lift things like a hamper without my hands hurting, and even struggle to get up from sitting positions because I can’t apply direct pressure to my hands to push myself up. As helpful as my husband is he is often times not home, as he works long hours. A Service Dog would allow me the independence and freedom to move around my home and out in public with the confidence that I have assistance when needed. The dog will be trained for mobility assistance, for retrieval help, sensing my medical needs, and so much more. Unfortunately the cost of a Service Dog on average for each facility is $20,000. With such a large cost, programs ask that you help raise the funds for your dog. There are other programs that ask that you pay for the dog outright at somewhat of a discount, and those that give it for free. Programs that provide dogs for free often take up to a year before you’re even paired with an animal. I have submitted an application to New Horizons Service Dogs, Inc. here in Florida, but again, the wait time is long. I have my eye on another program as well. This program requires $14,500 for the dog, and they are available to pair me with a dog as early as January of 2018. Unfortunately, as I am allergic to dogs, I am unable to be paired with just any animal. I require a hypoallergenic breed, and the most recommended hypoallergenic service breed is a GoldenDoodle. These dogs are harder to receive as they are not “common” service breeds, so this journey may be a long one. The additional $500 added to the goal will be used towards taking care of the dog initially and getting the necessary garments for it. I am hopeful to raise funds that will either pay for the dog outright, or will help the program that helps me, help others just like me. Any and all donations, prayers, and words of support are welcome and highly appreciated. I cannot thank you enough, in advance, for your help reaching this goal. ❤️