- S
- M
This is Brooke. She needs a service dog.
This is Banjo. He wants to be Brooke’s service dog.
Seems simple enough— but it’s not so simple. Banjo is not trained and certified, and certification is not cheap.
Brooke has been medically diagnosed with extreme anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder—among other things. It has prevented her from keeping a job and attending school. Public spaces can sometimes cause her anxiety levels to go so high that she develops blisters on her skin. But Brooke knows that her disorders are nothing to be ashamed of: it’s just a part of who she is. It runs in the family; her biological mother is also bipolar.
Brooke is approaching her 18th birthday which means that she will soon be entering a state run program that will teach life skills, and she will be living on her own. In order for this to be successful, Brooke needs a service dog. She needs Banjo.
Brooke met Banjo at the animal shelter where she volunteers. Animals have always brought Brooke peace, and so she didn’t mind spending hours pulling ticks off the neglected dog. She formed a bond with him, and she took him home. She paid for his basic training already, but the next step is much more involved and takes a very long time.
In training to be an “emotional support” dog, Banjo would learn how to recognize if Brooke is in distress. He would learn to form a circle around her in public places, keeping others at a distance, pushing them away if needed. He would be trained to remind her to take her medication, which is vital to her moods and her life. His certification would mean that she would get to have him always with her: in restaurants, in her apartment, everywhere. And that is what she needs. She literally will not be able to do it without him. And down the road, Brooke wants to be a vet tech. She will need Banjo to go through that schooling as well.
Brooke’s adoptive family has had a rough go this last year. Her mom has had a migraine for a year. A YEAR. She is constantly in pain and has just been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. The medical bills for both Brooke and her mom have been debilitating for the family. So let’s help ease their burdens. Let’s all chip in and pay for this one necessity and take the burden from their shoulders. What are friends and neighbors for?
This is Banjo. He wants to be Brooke’s service dog.
Seems simple enough— but it’s not so simple. Banjo is not trained and certified, and certification is not cheap.
Brooke has been medically diagnosed with extreme anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder—among other things. It has prevented her from keeping a job and attending school. Public spaces can sometimes cause her anxiety levels to go so high that she develops blisters on her skin. But Brooke knows that her disorders are nothing to be ashamed of: it’s just a part of who she is. It runs in the family; her biological mother is also bipolar.
Brooke is approaching her 18th birthday which means that she will soon be entering a state run program that will teach life skills, and she will be living on her own. In order for this to be successful, Brooke needs a service dog. She needs Banjo.
Brooke met Banjo at the animal shelter where she volunteers. Animals have always brought Brooke peace, and so she didn’t mind spending hours pulling ticks off the neglected dog. She formed a bond with him, and she took him home. She paid for his basic training already, but the next step is much more involved and takes a very long time.
In training to be an “emotional support” dog, Banjo would learn how to recognize if Brooke is in distress. He would learn to form a circle around her in public places, keeping others at a distance, pushing them away if needed. He would be trained to remind her to take her medication, which is vital to her moods and her life. His certification would mean that she would get to have him always with her: in restaurants, in her apartment, everywhere. And that is what she needs. She literally will not be able to do it without him. And down the road, Brooke wants to be a vet tech. She will need Banjo to go through that schooling as well.
Brooke’s adoptive family has had a rough go this last year. Her mom has had a migraine for a year. A YEAR. She is constantly in pain and has just been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. The medical bills for both Brooke and her mom have been debilitating for the family. So let’s help ease their burdens. Let’s all chip in and pay for this one necessity and take the burden from their shoulders. What are friends and neighbors for?
Organizer and beneficiary
Doenice Chavez
Beneficiary