Help Jessica Get A Companion Dog!

Hi, my name is Lori, and my daughter was born with a rare condition called Arthrogryposis. She is an amazing woman who succeeds as a freelance artist and historian. Although she is a quadriplegic, she still manages to travel and make friends everywhere she goes.

One of the biggest things that gave Jessica confidence was the companionship of her emotional support dog, Lilly Bean. We rescued Lilly from a dog fighting ring in 2014 and we rehabilitated her to be Jessica's constant companion. They had a lot of adventures together over the years.

Jessica's dog passed away on June 5, 2023, of cancer complications. We saw Lilly through two tumor removal surgeries in her lifetime, but the cancer took her in the end at almost 11-years-old. Jessica's heart is broken and her loved ones are concerned that her C-PTSD symptoms will experience a decline if we don't work on finding her a good companion dog while her heart heals from the loss. She is already experiencing heightened anxiety at night without Lilly.

Aside from Arthrogryposis, Jessica has C-PTSD from a combination of repeated medical trauma and sexual assault. This makes a companion dog vital for her emotional well-being. Lilly gave Jessica focus, kept her calm in panic attacks, protected her in public, and gave her comfort since her disability causes her to be isolated at home during long periods of illness or surgery recovery.

This is where you come in!

We need help saving the money to give another companion dog the right start in life with Jessica. Whether we adopt from a shelter or locate a puppy from a responsible breeder, Jessica's next companion needs puppy shots, exams, and most importantly, training. It is a common misconception that all service dogs or emotional support dogs or therapy dogs are given to disabled people for free. Some organizations do that but waiting lists are long. Out-of-pocket costs for service/emotional support/therapy dog training in Ohio can run as much as $30,000.

Luckily Jessica does not require a full-blown service dog because we meet her physical needs. That puts her in the emotional support dog category, which requires much less training. Her new companion will still need obedience training and special training for having a wheelchair user as a mommy. Setting up a new companion dog is costly. We need your help to get there.

I am 64 now and I cannot handle a big dog anymore, and neither can Jessica with her limitations. One of our needs is a dog that's preferably 25 pounds and under, but we'll keep it flexible. Jessica's ultimate dream is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel since they are excellent companions and attach to their person very well. However, she knows the right dog will come along no matter what kind it is. We simply prefer something smaller.

Will you help me do this for my daughter?

Where your donation goes:

• Adoption fees

• Vaccines

• Wellness exams

• Puppy training

• Obedience training

• Supplies

Please ask us if you have any questions. Jessica answers her emails faster than I do and she's at [email redacted] while [email redacted] is my email address.