This is our daughter, Joyce. She is 27 years old and suffers from severe multi-phobic anxiety disorder. Basically, it means that she is in a constant state of anxiety, which ultimately affects her life and ours. It prevents her from holding a job, living on her own, making friends, or even going out in public. We care for her 24/7. Over the years we’ve tried many things such as therapy, medications, and just plain patience. After six years of living with us, we were losing any hope that Joyce would ever be able to live as an independent adult. Until now. 

For the last year, we’ve been looking into the possibility of Joyce using a service dog. Many of us have pets in our home and all animal lovers know the benefits of having a constant companion. They make us smile, they make us laugh, they make us feel better when we’re sad, and no matter what, they look out for us. But Joyce needs more than that and that’s where a service dog comes in. 

We’d heard of dogs being used for veterans with PTSD, and the similarities between PTSD and Joyce’s condition are striking. We have found a local dog trainer who has experience with this type of training. 

Here is how a service dog can make a difference:


• Joyce needs to build confidence


Constant training and care for an animal gives Joyce an opportunity to care for someone else. Under the guidance of a skilled dog trainer, she will teach the dog how to help her in moments of anxiety, to find help if she has an emergency, or to bring her medicine if she is sick. The dog will learn to act as a safeguard so Joyce can go out in public, maintaining a comfortable distance between herself and others around her to avoid panic attacks and anxiety. 


• Joyce needs to build a life she can be proud of


With the security of a faithful companion, Joyce will be able to strengthen her communication skills as she works with a trainer on how to teach her dog. She will be pushed to try new things, go outside her comfort zone, and grow independent from us. It’s possible she may even be able to get a job, which would provide a structure for pride and accomplishment. 


• Joyce needs a friend


Staying at home all the time, Joyce is currently unable to cultivate relationships outside of the immediate family. This dog can give Joyce companionship for the times when we can’t be with her like work, church, or just a night out of the house. And in return we get the peace of mind that Joyce is okay. There will always be someone watching out for her. 



Owning a dog is not cheap and a service dog even less so. There are costs related to acquiring the dog, vet bills, vaccinations, licensing, service animal vests, certifications, and so on.  Training alone can run upwards of $20-30,000. 

It’s important to begin soon since the longer Joyce stays like this, the harder it is to break the cycle of anxiety. We have an opportunity to begin this process in 2016. However, it would take a miracle to save that much money in this amount of time (we’re talking water out of a rock Biblical). We’d appreciate your help to give Joyce a chance at an independent life.

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