LoLo’s Pawraiser

So as many of you know, about one month ago I got to bring home my precious wiggle butt, BABY GIRL!!! This four-legged menace of mine has already *completely captured* my heart. For over one year, I have been anxiously counting down the months, weeks, days until I was able to have my new companion home with me. I can’t begin to express the love she has already filled in my little home. There truly are no words for the small moments when I’m sitting alone with her and simply having her presence. Needless to say, in the short time she has spent here, we have already developed the most magical of bonds. At the moment, we are beginning to prep Willow to become my service dog. HOWEVER, my little girl is absolutely in need of some more extensive training! While I have been working hard on trying to get insurance to cover the cost, unfortunately the process just isn’t moving fast enough… (Is anyone surprised that the wheels of governmental bureaucracy are moving slow?!!?) That being said, I have needed to start “emergency planning” a way to get my little Willowbean into some training. I have been extremely grateful and blessed that my mom has been here to help transition the pup, but it is time for her to head home and start facing reality…! This being the case, it becomes that much more important for little Lolo to start training as soon as possible. 

 I have found and met with some trainers locally, but now I have to turn to my community of friends and loved ones to try and help make this financially feasible. And I know, I know it seems like a A lot of money that I’m asking for for training. However, I do believe that this is because it’s for such a specialized training for a service dog. Should I have gone the route of getting a service dog through a more traditional organization, at not only would’ve been a 3+ year wait, but it also would have cost upwards of $50,000!!!

For those of you who may not know me already, my name is Mackenzie. About 8 years ago, I sustained a spinal cord injury, making me quadriplegic. Despite years of being told otherwise by medical professionals, I am actually living COMPLETELY independently in my own apartment! Not only that, but I have become my own care manager!!!

These are certainly some of my biggest accomplishments to date, but I’m onto my newest challenge: Willow! Willow, AKA LoLo is my four month old labrador puppy and, as mentioned above, the plan has always been for her to eventually become my service dog.

Absolutely *anything and everything* goes a long way!

Thank you to everyone for every small penny, it ALL counts in the end!!