Help Jasper Get a Life-Saving Service Dog Candidate

My name is Jasper, and I'm trying to get my next service dog candidate and facing financial difficulties.

Due to my PTSD and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and dysautonomia, I need a medical alert and response service dog to be able to function independently. With the help of my current service dog, Nico, I have managed to start my career as a dog trainer and I'm able to safely and independently navigate daily life. His job is to alert to my POTS episodes, giving me warning and time to sit down. He also responds to these medical episodes, using deep pressure therapy and keeping me on the ground while my body regulates itself and kissing my face to reorient and ground me. It is terrifying to navigate these moments alone, and a service dog is the only solution for me to stay safe and maintain my current level of independence.

My current service dog will have to retire soon. He has developed idiopathic epilepsy, with focal seizures that are well-controlled on his anti-convulsant medications. His veterinarian and I agree that it's best for him to continue to work for now, but he will need to retire sooner than was originally planned. It takes about 2 years to train a service dog, and Nico will almost certainly be ready to fully retire by the time my next candidate could be fully trained. He turns 6 in December, and he will be ready to retire into being a couch prince in another year or two.

Though my pet dogs will always be rescues, I've found through research and asking other service dog trainers that dogs that are bred to be service dogs have a significantly higher chance of success. There are many genetic factors, from physical health to temperament, that can be impossible to predict in a rescue puppy. When investing in a dog that will be medical equipment, it's important to set the puppy and myself up for the highest chance of success. Getting a puppy from a litter that has been purposefully bred to produce service dog candidates is the best chance at success.

I have selected a puppy from a litter from Kikikook Kennels, a standard poodle breeder who provides extensive health testing and Early Neurological Stimulation, giving the puppies the best chance to succeed as service dogs. The parents are both UKC Champions who excel in the sports that they pursue. The puppies should be healthy, intelligent, biddable, and have the ability to work well with their handlers for service and sports work. Both parents are around 45 lbs, which is my ideal size range for a service dog candidate. The mom performs natural high heart rate alerts. Everything about this litter is perfect for what I need.

Unfortunately, I've had a lot of recent medical expenses due to increasing severity of my POTS and chronic pain. I aged out of my parents' health insurance plan in June. I am trying to get health insurance, as I was recently denied by Medicaid and am going through the appeal process. My recent trips to the Emergency Room have left me with over $12,000 in medical debt that currently isn't covered by insurance. I have the ability to provide for my dogs' long-term care, including veterinary costs. However, I am struggling to find the funds to pay for acquiring my next service dog candidate. The puppies from Kikikook Kennels are $3000.

I hate to ask for help, but I need assistance to get the funding I need to continue having a service dog and be able to operate independently. It is almost impossible for me to work, and therefore survive, without a service dog. I'll be grateful for anything you can give. If you donate $50 or more and live in the Denver area, I'll do a photoshoot for your dog. If you donate $10 or more, I'll doodle your pup.