Help Jackie Get Her Service Dog

Hi friends,

Thanks for taking the time to click on my page. Some of you may know that I have been considering getting a service dog over the last few years to help with my mobility. I have a physical disability called Cerebral Palsy that causes me to use a wheelchair, have tight muscles, and poor motor skills. Over the last decade, I have developed chronic illnesses that have required a lot of medical attention as well. 

I have always thought a service dog would help me live a more independent life and empower me when life gets hard. I applied for a service dog through a local nonprofit, Heeling House, but I honestly didn't think I'd hear anything back because they mostly work with children. I was wrong! When I met with them, they already had a dog in mind for me! One dog from their previous litter was still looking for his human. I met Nathan last week and immediately fell in love with him. He is an energetic and loving Labradoodle. He's tall, which is perfect for me because I can reach him without trouble, and we will be training as a team to help me with tasks such as opening doors, pressing buttons, picking up dropped items, and providing deep pressure therapy for me. Nate will also be a huge help emotionally because I will be able to bring him to doctors appointments and the hospital. 

Service dogs are expensive to train because they have to be fostered until their training is done and you do multiple tests with your dog and training as a team until graduation. It costs about $40,000 to raise and train a service dog, but due to generous donors, Heeling House makes the service dog user responsible for $12,000. Since Nate is already almost a year, our training is due to start in the beginning of August and end around January, which means I need to raise funds more quickly than anticipated. I truly believe this is God's timing because I also got approved to look for my own apartment, and Nate will help me be more independent there.  I have set this page up so that any money raised will go directly to Heeling House, not to me. 

I really like Heeling House because, unlike  many organizations, they only accept local people and you are involved through the whole process. We start training classes together with the rest of Nate's siblings and their people and then work as a team together in the community and at home. Everyone I've met at Heeling House is amazing and they're really dedicated to making sure you and your dog are bonded and successful. You can read more about their mission and programs at https://heelinghouse.org/ 

I will update along the way. I'm so excited to get to know Nate better and have him as my buddy in life. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Thanks, 
Jackie Meline & Nathan