Service Dog Fund
Donation protected
I am honestly not quite sure where to begin. I've never felt comfortable asking others for help, but this is something that I would really benefit from and would increase my quality of life.
I've been struggling with Generalized Anxiety my entire life. I became pretty good at hiding my symptoms from others while I was constantly battling myself on the inside. Since college, my struggle has slowly become greater and greater. I have experienced a couple of emotional traumas, which I would rather not go into on such a public platform. However, this has now become something I struggle with everyday. Even with regular counseling appointments and daily medication, I've been struggling fighting this "invisible" illness. In the past year, I have had multiple panic attacks per week. Sometimes, I don't even know why it happens or what triggers them and I can't explain it. It's like another person took over my body. I have become anxious about my anxiety (how ironic) to the point where I unintentionally isolate myself and avoid situations, such as crowds, at all costs. I have been doing my best pushing all of this aside to attempt to accomplish my dream of becoming a physician.
Long story short, my therapist, physician, and I (along with multiple family members and close friends) believe I would benefit from having a psychiatric service dog. This dog would basically be attached at my hip and be my personal assistant. They would be trained in giving deep pressure therapy, which would help keep me calm in situations, such as crowds, preventing panic attacks. They would make me more comfortable, confident, and independent, bringing me out of this state of isolation and fear. They would alert me to idiosyncrasies and distract me from my anxiety. They would help me calm come down from a panic attack and retrieve water and medication if I'm alone when one occurs, which is often. Additionally, they would be able to create a barrier for me in public, especially in crowds.
I have done extensive research on this topic and believe it is the best thing for me. I found an organization called Doggie Does Good in Arroyo Grande, CA. They would love to provide their clients with financial assistance; however, their funds have nearly run dry. Therefore, I won't be able to receive financial assistance for the upfront cost. As a student in DC, I don't have the financial means to provide for the enormous upfront cost of one of these highly trained dogs. I have very little in my savings account and have been paying for rent and day to day expense via financial aid and personal loans. I have two jobs, but of course, don't make much. If I could raise enough money, it would allow me to be matched with a trained service dog that is able to perform specific skills and accompany in my day-to-day life. The total cost would be around $25,000, which includes the dog itself, all the veterinary care it has had/will have until I receive the dog, and travel for me to go to California for 6 days to learn how to handle the dog and bring it home. Once I receive enough funds to cover half of the service dog, I can start the matching process it could take anywhere from 5 days to 1 year to receive my new best friend and, quite frankly, life saver.
I would greatly, greatly appreciate any donation you could provide me with. Again, this is something I'm honestly not comfortable in asking for, but, at this point, will do anything to improve my quality of life at this point. Any amount will help tremendously. For more information or to answer any questions you may have, I would love for you to reach out to me or visit doggiedoesgood.org.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
I've been struggling with Generalized Anxiety my entire life. I became pretty good at hiding my symptoms from others while I was constantly battling myself on the inside. Since college, my struggle has slowly become greater and greater. I have experienced a couple of emotional traumas, which I would rather not go into on such a public platform. However, this has now become something I struggle with everyday. Even with regular counseling appointments and daily medication, I've been struggling fighting this "invisible" illness. In the past year, I have had multiple panic attacks per week. Sometimes, I don't even know why it happens or what triggers them and I can't explain it. It's like another person took over my body. I have become anxious about my anxiety (how ironic) to the point where I unintentionally isolate myself and avoid situations, such as crowds, at all costs. I have been doing my best pushing all of this aside to attempt to accomplish my dream of becoming a physician.
Long story short, my therapist, physician, and I (along with multiple family members and close friends) believe I would benefit from having a psychiatric service dog. This dog would basically be attached at my hip and be my personal assistant. They would be trained in giving deep pressure therapy, which would help keep me calm in situations, such as crowds, preventing panic attacks. They would make me more comfortable, confident, and independent, bringing me out of this state of isolation and fear. They would alert me to idiosyncrasies and distract me from my anxiety. They would help me calm come down from a panic attack and retrieve water and medication if I'm alone when one occurs, which is often. Additionally, they would be able to create a barrier for me in public, especially in crowds.
I have done extensive research on this topic and believe it is the best thing for me. I found an organization called Doggie Does Good in Arroyo Grande, CA. They would love to provide their clients with financial assistance; however, their funds have nearly run dry. Therefore, I won't be able to receive financial assistance for the upfront cost. As a student in DC, I don't have the financial means to provide for the enormous upfront cost of one of these highly trained dogs. I have very little in my savings account and have been paying for rent and day to day expense via financial aid and personal loans. I have two jobs, but of course, don't make much. If I could raise enough money, it would allow me to be matched with a trained service dog that is able to perform specific skills and accompany in my day-to-day life. The total cost would be around $25,000, which includes the dog itself, all the veterinary care it has had/will have until I receive the dog, and travel for me to go to California for 6 days to learn how to handle the dog and bring it home. Once I receive enough funds to cover half of the service dog, I can start the matching process it could take anywhere from 5 days to 1 year to receive my new best friend and, quite frankly, life saver.
I would greatly, greatly appreciate any donation you could provide me with. Again, this is something I'm honestly not comfortable in asking for, but, at this point, will do anything to improve my quality of life at this point. Any amount will help tremendously. For more information or to answer any questions you may have, I would love for you to reach out to me or visit doggiedoesgood.org.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
Organizer
Alexandra Brady
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC