Friends and Dog Lovers, I am raising money for Summer, my Service Dog. As an epileptic, I have seizures that I cannot predict. But Summer can. She has saved my life more times than I can count. She warns me before I am about to have a seizure and gets me to a place of safety. She is trained and obeys my commands to the letter. Summer is a German Shepherd. Incredibly smart and loving, you can see the intelligence and empathy in her eyes. And yet many people fear her because she looks like a Police Dog. She has a reason to be protective of me and bark when she perceives danger, though. Someone once broke a skateboard over her back while she was wearing her service dog vest. She has had bottles thrown at her, been hit with a club, tasered, and shot at. And she is barely 5 years old. To make matters worse, Summer was kidnapped off the street last year (can you believe someone would do that??). The police was involved and she was even on the news! Thankfully, I was able to recover her. Unfortunately, the stress and trauma she went through while we were apart (and who knows what they did to her) has left her with significant digestive issues that she never had before. Despite a strict bland (expensive) diet, and many (expensive) visits to the vet, Summer suffers from drawn out bouts of diarrhea, causing her to lose too much weight. After (expensive) treatment, she does gain her weight back and resumes normal digestion eventually, but this does not last long and has become a vicious cycle. Even though Summer is a trained and registered Service Dog, and as such could be considered a medical device, my insurance will not help me with her care. I am struggling to keep her alive… in order to keep myself alive. Aside from special food for sensitive stomachs, Summer will need regular meetings with a Veterinary Behaviorist to decrease her stress level and help her digest her food properly. And as keeping her safe has become unpredictable, the vet has recommended I purchase a Kevlar Vest. Such a vest costs $2000! I am reaching out as I believe there are good people out there that understand the grief that I am going through as I watch Summer be sick but am financially unable to help her. She has been my dearest companion and my lifesaver. Please help me help her.

• Have a little update on both Summer and myself. Unfortunately, I have had another seizure and she’s having further stomach problems. Yet still did her job. Now I am stressed which isn’t good that someone is going to hurt Summer if I can’t protect her. A Kevlar Vest for her would be at least $2,000
  

Her Vet says that she’s never seen a dog more emphatic then Summer.