Help Elizabeth with her next medical service dog

Summary:
I am a PhD graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh and I have permanent disabilities that affect my stability and mobility. At the beginning of the pandemic, my most recent ECAD Mobility/Medical Service Dog made it clear that she was ready to retire. Due to the pandemic and a decrease in public donations helping fund ECAD (501c3), the cost of a successor dog increased unexpectedly. I was able to scrounge and save the full ~$22,000 needed to fund the successor dog, but this has left me with no savings to pay for necessities such as travel costs to and from the organization for team training and certifications, a new mobility harness that will fit her (upwards of $1,200), new boots, and other protective gear and supplies to assist her work. Service dogs also require higher-end food for their energy and joint protection, as well as more frequent veterinary visits and preventative supplements. The unexpected cost increase of the dog ate the funds that I had put aside for these items, about $5,000 total.

Full Story:
Due to injuries sustained from the health issues I experienced as a child and teenager, I have permanent disabilities that affect my stability and mobility. Before getting a mobility service dog I fell down flights of stairs multiple times, and as a result, my confidence in my safety and independence was severely shaken. With the help of my first two ECAD Service Dogs, not only have I not had a severe fall in the last decade, but I was able to graduate with my B.S. in Biology and I am now a 4th-year microbiology graduate student working towards my PhD at the University of Pittsburgh. My independence in life has been invaluably enhanced by these dogs, and without them I wouldn't be where I am in education, career, and life. Both of them have saved my life, literally, on multiple occasions over the last decade.

At the beginning of the pandemic, my most recent ECAD Service Dog (Laura, pictured on this page) made it quite clear that she was ready to retire. She is now enjoying retired life with a family member and achieving glowing performance reviews on her role as a couch potato. The pandemic shift to virtual activities at my school and work has been a blessing in disguise, as it introduced a lot of temporary flexibility in my life and allowed me to work remotely as Laura retired. The physical aspects of my job are now ramping back up to a point where remote work is not possible, and the absence of my service dog is strongly reaffirming to me exactly how much I rely on that partnership for my independence.

 

It's been a long 2 years without Laura, but I am now able to look forward to meeting my new ECAD service dog partner in June! ECAD is a 501c3 and relies on public donations to offset the cost of the service dogs for the clients. The decrease in public donations over the pandemic meant that the cost of the service dogs rose. While I have spent the last decade saving for my successor service dog, I did not expect this price increase, and it has left me in a bit of a sticky situation.

Picture Description: Laura (a large, black, Labrador and Great Dane mix) lying on a carpeted floor, wearing her mobility harness, and using her favorite headrest (my foot).

In spite of the pandemic, I was able to scrounge and save the full ~$22,000 needed to fund the dog, but this has left me with no savings to pay for necessities such as travel costs to and from the organization for team training and certifications, a new mobility harness that will fit her (upwards of $1,200), new boots, and other protective gear and supplies to assist her work. Service dogs also require higher-end food for their energy and joint protection, as well as more frequent veterinary visits and preventative supplements. The unexpected cost increase of the dog ate the funds that I had put aside for these items, about $5,000 total.

 

I am excited to work with my successor dog and return to a busy, full, and independent life. I hate asking for assistance in anything financial, so I do not make this request lightly. Even if you can only share this gofundme, that is so very much appreciated and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this.