Support The Success of Jasmine & Rex

My name is Jasmine Thuroo, and I am currently training Rex, a labrador retriever, to be my full-time psychiatric service dog. I was fortunate to be matched with Rex this year. Having him has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. We have only started our journey together, and Rex has already helped me immensely. We bonded almost immediately and grasped each other's signals. Rex is two years old, and we have begun advanced training. His personality is gentle, and he is very intuitive and empathetic. I could not have asked for a better dog to be by my side. He has made my home our home, which was indeed the missing piece in my life.

Finding a psychiatric service dog has been very challenging for me, as there have been many barriers. The training is costly as it can take up to two years to train a service dog! I have had many people place roadblocks throughout my journey, making it extremely difficult for me to get a dog. I am so proud of myself for persevering and fighting for Rex. I am so lucky to have him and am grateful for the guidance of Doug Chivas, the owner of Working Paws. The Working Paws community is extremely uplifting and pawsitive, and I genuinely believe in their training program. I am committed to this journey with Rex and know it will be a tremendous step in my recovery. I cannot imagine life without him after the bond we have formed and the fantastic team we have created. I hope to fundraise enough to cover the costs associated with Rex's training!

A Psychiatric Service Dog should not be confused with an Emotional Support Animal. A Psychiatric Service Dog is thoroughly trained and performs specific tasks to help its owner. Some of Rex's commands will be interrupting anxiety or distress by providing psycho-emotional grounding by nudging, pawing and leaning. He will assist in distracting me from specific maladaptive behaviors, provide deep pressure therapy to help with grounding, retrieve medication and water when I am unable to move and block or circle me for crowd control to create personal space. He may also be trained to wake me from night terrors or guide me to an exit if I have a panic attack. There are many different tasks Rex can be trained to perform, helping me live life to my fullest potential.

I have always been an advocate for mental health and believe everyone struggling deserves the necessary tools to recover. I am always striving to be as emotionally intelligent as possible and learn how to manage my disability. Having Rex has only enhanced my work to better my mental health.

Therapy, service animals, and in-patient care are all very costly. Please consider donating to help Rex and me. If you are unable to donate, please share this with your friends and family to help support our journey.

Working Paws: https://workingpaws.ca/

Other Places To Donate and Support Mental Health: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate-to-mental-health-charities/

My Photography Business: www.onestillworld.com