Beau & Dottie The Future Assistance Dog

Hello, my name is Beau Jenkins, id like to thank you in advance for taking your time to read this. Before I get into why this GoFundMe is set up, I would like to tell you a bit about me, but prepare youself.. its a long one!. Im 13 years old and have an insane love for all animals, big, small and even scaly. I have been diagnosed with autism and anorexia, as well as depression and anxiety. My life turned around for the worst when i was in year 7. I wasn’t friends with very nice people, they made me give them my food as I was apparently ‘overweight’, they also told rumors about me which spread like wildfire and a few other sensitive topics I would rather not go into. I was severly bullied and whenever I made friends, they would turn on me aswell. There was no place I felt safe, I got followed home, spat on, slapped and more. I already struggled with self-harming and as the school year went on, this and my mental health worsened, and so did my attendance. I also began having suicidal thoughts and intentions. The summer holidays slowly came and all I could do was dread the next year but pray that it would have all blown over. The holidays ended and I went back to school, and well.. it had not blown over.

I was threatened, I was told to kill myself and slit my wrists, I was also shouted at to be ‘normal’ on multiple occasions. This led to alot of trauma and me just overall refusing to leave the house, even for school, shopping trips, or dog walks. My family and I made the decision that it was no longer safe for me to be at school anymore, so I was pulled from it and eventually started flexible learning (which is a home learning organisation). While I was at school I was being seen by RISE. I started CBT and after a couple of months I was diagnosed with an eating disorder called anorexia and refered for an autism assesment. I stopped my CBT due to my own decision as it didnt suit me and we then presued my autism assessment privately in hope that the process would happen quicker so I could get the right help I needed as soon as possible. I then later got my diagnosis and also followed family eating disorder counciling, and I am currently waiting for some form of counciling for my mental health. Now, I still struggle with all of the stuff I’ve listed, but I’m not ashamed of that. I’m on my road to recovery, which I’m proud of more than anything.

In the near start of all of this, my family (especially my mum) went through a traumatic experience. I cannot tell the story fully, as it is not mine to tell. But long story short, my mum has a condition called Caudia Equina, and has had 2 fushions and a few other things happened to her disks in her spine. This has all affected her spinal cord which has resulted in her mobility being poor, this means she has to use a wheelchair most of the time but crutches around the house and short distances, to this day we all still struggle as a family and my mums condition is still undergoing investgation because unfortunately more incidents with her disks keep occuring.

I have a dog called Pudding, she is a long haired chihuahua, and is 1 year and 9 months old. I got her before things started to go down hill. She is my star and i wouldnt be here without her. She rescued me. She was in training to be my assistance dog but unfortunately due to a few reasons such as being too small (which was putting her at risk of getting hurt as she wasnt easily noticable) and being reactive, she had to be washed (which means get retired and removed from work). This absolutely broke my heart, but I knew it was the best decision for both of us. She still helps me through some dark places at home and tasks when she can, but still I believe It’s better for her to not work for me.

This leads me onto my next point…

I am trying to get funds to help raise money for my new puppy to become an assistance dog, and all the training she requires. Her name is Dottie. She comes home on the 27th August 2024. She is a showline cocker spaniel, I chose this breed because they are big enough for the job, but not too big that they could knock my mum over or take up to much room. Another reason is that they are fairly easy to train and are keen to work but don’t have an uncontrollable amount of energy. I am currently trying to get my freedom back, but thats come to a, hopefully, temporary stop. I feel to get back on the road to freedom and happiness, I need a life changing dog, a dog that can help me finally access society with ease, ease that I haven’t felt for as long as I can remember. I also aim to eventually go back to school, even if its not mainstream, and I wish to take Dottie with me to be able to achieve that. This dog is my last resort. I believe with the right training, socialisation, love, and more, Dottie could be this dog. This is where I need your help, even as simple as sharing can help. Dottie is ours now, but the guilt I have as a 13 year old where my parents work so so hard, yet will do anything for me, like getting a life changing dog, is so big. By contributing to Dottie myself and all the rest of her financial needs (training, insurance ect) through out her life, this is my way of thanking them (as well as saying it!) Which is why I need help earing the money, I am intending on selling handmade jewellery and doing bake sales to also help contribute and all money raised I will add to the GoFundMe and make a note of it for us all to keep track of! I am so lucky that I have been given the opportunity from my parents to have Dottie. I wish to enroll her into a professional assistance dog organisation in the future, which I plan, and would like to pay for myself, which is another reason for this GoFundMe. I would also like to expand my knowledge, which I will be able to do as I train Dottie, I then dream of helping others do the same, not as a training buisness, but just so I can give some advice and maybe a little helping hand once in a while. I would also like to spread the difference and impact an assistance dog can make to people, I want to help show people that have experienced the same situations as me, that it can get better, and will!

I hopefully plan on teaching Dottie tasks that migrate my disability. These tasks include,

* Deep pressure therapy, this is where the dog may lay or put their head on you to provide weight which can help calm down.

* Scratching response. one of my habits is to scratch when stressed. This is where the dog can either paw or jump at you to interupt the scratching.

* Crying response, the dog can either lick you, jump up or do other stuff to inteupt your crying and bring you back to reality if you are zoned out while upset.

* Hyperventilation alert and response, the dog may paw at you, jump up, or lick you to calm you down, and then go into a deep pressure therapy to help calm you down more so you are able to regulate again.

There is a few more, but they are the main ones, I also wish to teach her stuff to help my mum around the house, like taking socks off or fetching something.

My mum is currently in hospital right now. Unfortunately a disk has caught a nerve which is causing excruciating pain. She had an operation yesterday but will be staying in hopsital while she recovers and regains her strength. This means she is on no pay as she isn’t able to go into work. By contributing to Dottie and the things along with her, it is one less thing for my parents to worry about. We wouldn’t be getting Dottie if we didn’t think I truely needed her, hence why my parents are prepared to put themselves out of budget for me, but I hate having that guilt on me and I want to take that stress away from them.

Before we decided to get Dottie, we looked into assistance dog chairtys to see if I was able to meet the criteria for one, but we were shocked to see that most of them were either scams, or costed thousands upon thousands of pounds (which we can not afford) yet called themselves a chairty! I want to eventually spread awareness about that and tell the world that it is possible to do it yourself, rather than struggling financially after paying loads to companies that don’t even live up to the expectations they should. I plan to make a journal of mine and Dotties journey and training, good and bad, and then hopefully share it for everybody too see and possibly use for their own training!

Now, if you have made it to the end, then thank you. I really appreciate you reading that all, if you can contribute even the tinest amount, that would mean the world to me and my family. Even just as little as sharing the link would make our day. Assistance dogs aren’t just pets, they are so so much more than that, life changers, a reason to get up in the morning! And so much more.. But also not a want, a need. I will rely on Dottie, but that isn’t a bad thing, and I’m not ashamed to say that, if she is what gets me up in the morning, then okay, I will be proud of that, I will be proud of the fact I get up and out the house with her help. I just know, that she will be last part of my recovery. She is the one ♥️

Thank you, Beau Jenkins, (24.8.24)

EDIT (26.8.24)

It’s only been 2 days and oh my gosh we are more than half way already. I cannot thank you all enough. I have added £5 in that I made from selling 2 bracelets.

I still can’t believe how amazing everybody is. This has truely opened up my views on the world, that there really is nice people out there, since getting bullied at school It’s been hard to actually believe there is nice people out there but you have all shown me there is, so thank you so so much.

Dottie comes home tomorrow and I will update again a few days later on how she has settled in and how she is doing ❤️ once again, thank you to all of you.

EDIT (11/2/25)

Hi all, its been about 5 months now so thought it’s only right to give you an update!

An increadibly kind person donated the remaining amount to the gofundme (not through gofundme however) which got us to our £500 goal!!!!! So I have now upped the goal to £1000 just incase! I cannot thank you all enough especially the kind person that donated the remaining amount. They would like to remain anonymous which is absolutely okay but please just know that your kind actions and everybody else’s have seriously changed my life. Thank you so much.

I have now been out of school for 18 months and my flexible learning has been going really well. Ive met so many lovely adults that help me continue my education the best I can. I turned 14 in September which was a really big achievement as I never thought I’d make it to this age, and then it was 2025 which was also huge as I didn’t think I’d see this year either! As much as I still face suicidal thoughts quite oftern, It’s safe to say I’m so proud of myself, I never thought I would be able to live to see those achievements, yet here I am, because I did.

In regards to my mental health, we have stopped the family eating disorder counselling as it was doing more harm than good and was triggering some set backs, my health is now being managed by my parents and it hasn’t worsened, only had a few ups and downs, so I’d say its going okay!

I’m seeing a councillor weekly to do some talking therapy, which is still early stages so it’s just all about getting to know me, however we are now in the process of a PTSD diagnosis and some medication for my OCD and anxiety. My OCD is incredibly intense at the moment and seems to be getting worse which is very controlling of my day to day life so hopefully that will all get sorted out soon and will help ease everything a bit.

Unfortunately, even after not going to school for so long, I have been getting multiple prank calls, that include threats and telling me to kill myself. These are very upsetting and triggering and in all honesty I do not know why I have not been forgotten about and left alone. I have now changed my number and got rid of pretty much everybody I knew from school of my socials. Its been very hard to not listen to their words and to keep fighting but I’m trying my hardest too because I now have a little (but big!) life saving dog, Dottie.

Dotties training has been going incredibly well thanks to all of you that have either shared or donated to my gofundme! The money has payed for her to have a 6 week course of puppy training classes and a 5 week course of 1-1 training, and so much more. These have been going brilliantly and Dottie passed her puppy training at the top of her class with flying colours! We have been doing lots of training by ourselves too and she even knows a few tasks now! She can interupt self harm / scratching, interupt crying and also do crowd control / orbit! Along with all the other fun tricks she knows! These are already helping me so much and I can really see what an incredible assistance dog Dottie is turning into. Her personality has definitely popped out the past few months and she is a crazy spaniel but is super loving and gives the best kisses and cuddles. She is now starting adolescence so we will also be keeping an eye out for her first season! But I think that just about sums up most! In regards to creating a diary / journal of mine and Dotties assistance dog training journey, that is our instagram! Our instagram is a whole diary of our training journey, we would be honoured if you dropped us a follow! @dotties.diaries

I post quite oftern on there and I’m very honest, I mention whats going good about our training but also the bad bits! Because that is the reality of dog training, it absolutely isn’t all sunshines and rainbows!

Thank you all so much for reading this aswell, any donates will still be going towards more training for Dottie, the gear she needs, insurance and more! Even just as much as sharing helps, thank you! I also have sold loads of stuff on vinted which has raised even more money towards Dottie which is amazing!

Thank you all again, have a lovely day.

EDIT (11/2/25)

Oh wow, a massive huge thank you to Mark (fetchmycamera) for coming up to me, taking photos of Dottie and then sharing us because we have increadibly hit the £1000 goal!! Oh my gosh im speechless, I dont even know what to say. I’ve upped it to £2000 just incase but I cannot thank you all enough this has seriously changed my life, thank you.

EDIT (12/2/25)

Im amaze to say we made it to £2000! Im speechless, I dont know what to say other than thank you to every single one of you, I don’t necessarily have a goal to the GoFundMe, just what ever we can raise is incredible. So i have upped it up to £3000 so people can still donate, im so thankful to you all

EDIT (13/2/25)

Ahhh you guys have done it again! £3000!!!! Thats honestly insane, thank you so so much!

As per request by a few people I have put it up to £4000, thank you all