Maren's Service Dog Fund

Hi, I’m Maren, and I learned how to dutch braid for my little sister and I have a lazy eyelid, I love grandpa sweaters and singing, and when I was a kid I used to try to stay underwater at the bottom of the pool for as long as I could. I like to leave kind notes for strangers in public, and I've always found sanctuary in the sea, I like to draw on people and mix tea, and the most common comment I get from strangers is “you look comfy” or “are you okay”?

Throughout my life, but especially over the past four years, my battle with PTSD, OCD, depression, and anxiety have caused me to lose connection with my community, my academic journey, and my sense of identity and drive. I learned about the potential for service dogs to help people with psychiatric disabilities through a disability action group that I started in college. Over the past year and a half, after going through the sudden loss of my dad, it became clear to me and my support system that a service dog was needed.

I believe that a service dog will give me the aid that I need to navigate work & school environments, feel comfortable in public spaces, and get to a version of myself that is able to contribute meaningfully to my community and society. Bringing a service dog into my life and regaining my independence will take years and cost a lot of money. I am grateful beyond measure to have been admitted to the wait list for Mission Working Dogs, a local nonprofit that professionally trains service dogs for people like me.

Over the next year and a half or so, I hope to raise 6,250$ to cover the cost of obtaining and caring for my service dog for the first year that it is with me. Once I raise 2,000; I will be eligible to start team-training with a dog. The 4,000$ will go towards the fee for the dog and training, and 2,000$ will go towards veterinary bills, pet insurance, gas to get to and from Mission Working Dogs training sessions, and dog food and care supplies for my first year of dog ownership. Finally, the last 250$ will cover the cost of fees that GoFundMe will take (2.9% + 30 cents per donation, which we’re estimating might be about 250 depending on how many people donate, if we reach our goal of 6,000.) I hope to raise as much money as I can by selling art and working if I’m able. But a buck or two from you buckaroos would mean the world! Thank you so much for reading, and especially thank you to my Family, Friends, Dr’s, and Mission Working Dogs for making this possible!