A Service Dog for Jax

Hi, I am Angie Jackson Bailey and my daughter’s name is Jax (nee Lauren). We are raising funds for a Psychiatric Service Dog for Jax, to help her transition into adulthood.

Jax is an incredible young lady, who has had a very difficult journey. About 5 years ago, Jax’s mental health took an extreme negative turn. She has been admitted to numerous psychiatric units, spending close to a year in and out of inpatient treatment. Currently, she is in a children’s mental health facility, while we continue to look for answers and possible treatments. From Jax “I’ve made a lot of progress; however, still have many deficits that affect me daily. I am always anxious, have panic attacks, lock myself away at home and shut out the people I love. I’ve lost almost all of my independence and most ‘normal’ teen experiences because of my illnesses. It is frustrating and lonely.” Through working with Jax’s team, it has been determined that she would benefit greatly from a service dog.

A well trained dog can help redirect dangerous behaviours, intervene during an oncoming panic attack and get emergency help when required. A fully trained dog costs $30000+ dollars, which is more than we can afford. To make this more feasible, we will train our dog through a specialized academy, which reduces the total to $15000. Though Jax has received some funds, her ability to raise monies is limited due to her medical needs at this time. Any financial help would be appreciated to get us closer to the final cost! All proceeds will go directly towards training fees.

”My hope is to gain the independence to thrive as a young adult and to be ‘me’ again. I have plans to attend university, to become an Art Therapist, so I can help others on their mental health journey. Mental Illness cannot be ‘cured’, but the hope is that a service dog will make my goals more attainable.”