January 26, 2026

Casper spent two weeks at home with us, bonding with Shanti and me, and getting comfy with our space. He LOVES playing with Pippin, and even enjoyed the snow.

Today, he left for his first two weeks of "school." Though our trainer, Kel Yanosky (also a kick ass ukulele player and singer) is our friend, so is giving us a SIGNIFICANT discount, we still need to raise at least $600 for this first board and train session. If you can help, please donate, share on your socials, and help us work the algorithm!

December 14, 2025

You may be wondering what a psychiatric service dog is, and how it differs from an emotional support animal. Here is a snippet from Wikipedia with a little explanation.

Psychiatric assistance dog - Wikipedia https://share.google/KjqnrFAtOF1joTtmp

December 3, 2025

Pippin says HE would be willing to be Shanti's service dog, but only if he never had to ride in a car, and was allowed to have the zoomies 5 to 6 times a day, wherever he felt them coming on. We say, maybe Pippin will learn some manners from his smarter, better behaved little brother.

Please consider donating a few dollars towards this fund on this "Giving Tuesday." This service dog will support a young adult with a heart of gold, and a deep passion for science. She WILL make a difference in the world, and your support will get her a step closer.

November 27, 2025

Shanti turns 18 today. She's an amazing young woman with her life ahead of her. She has wanted to be a paleontologist since she was about 4 years old. When she decides she loves something or someone, she does it with her whole self. Her intense emotions and passion come with a sensitivity that creates challenges, but she has always found ways to overcome and keep going towards her dreams. She will put her whole heart into loving her service dog, doing her part to train and care for him. He will help her when the intensity becomes overwhelming, and will keep her moving towards the dreams she holds so passionately.

If you can, please donate for her birthday. If you can't donate, please share in all your socials! We have a long way to go!

Shanti will be going to college next year, and we are trying to get her a psychiatric service dog to accompany her and help her gain more independence as she pursues her dream of becoming a paleontologist. Shanti has several disabilities that make a service dog a useful addition to her life, including OCD, Panic Disorder, ADHD, Tourrette's Syndrome, and Hypermobile Ehlers Danlohs Syndrome.

Shanti's service dog will help interrupt panic and tic attacks, keep her on a consistent schedule, and ground her when she becomes overwhelmed. Some of the tasks the dog will perform are:

1. Bringing medicine and water, and providing deep pressure therapy during panic attacks,

2. Initiating redirection when Shanti experiences tic attacks or gets stuck in an OCD compulsion

3. Waking Shanti in the morning through physical cues, as she frequently sleeps through audio alarms

4. Cueing Shanti to eat when her blood sugar drops, and drink when she gets dehydrated

5. Alerting Shanti to drops in blood pressure or spikes in heart rate, so she is able to safely sit down rather than pass out

The donations we receive will help with the following: purchasing and training a suitable dog, upgrading our fence to fully and safely enclose our yard, obtaining and maintaining pet health insurance for the dog, and vet bills. We are working with a highly skilled animal behaviorist during the entire process, and she will continue to provide support throughout the dog's lifetime.