Hi my name is Emmi, I’m 20 and I’m fundraising to receive my new service dog. I struggle with autism, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, selective mutism and ARFID (an eating disorder). The new dog I will be receiving is from an organization that is fully training it specifically for my needs.

My story:

Back when the pandemic started in 2019 is when everything spiralled for me. I was hospitalized in Victoria and diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I then had to travel to bc children’s hospital in Vancouver. I stayed at bc children’s and Ronald McDonald House on and off for the next 3 years until I turned 18. Since then I have been hospitalized in Victoria again. These admissions were mainly due to my severe difficulties maintaining adequate nutrition. I got Islay (my first dog) in 2021 after my Doctor recommended a dog to help me with my anxiety. We weren’t aware that I might be autistic until 2023. I was then referred for an assessment. When we got my diagnosis of autism at the beginning of 2024, the reasons for my struggles started to make more sense. I’ve subsequently been diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) an eating disorder unrelated to distorted body image and weight views. In my case ARFID is probably due to my sensory issues and OCD.

Islay didn’t start training to become my service dog until she was about a year old. We started off self training her because we weren’t aware of the trainers in our area. Islay helped me with everyday life and I couldn’t have gotten through without her. She helped detect when I was getting overwhelmed or anxious and would tell me to sit down and lay across my legs to do something called deep pressure therapy. This was her most used task but there was more that she did. Unfortunately Islay had to retire early from service dog work as she was not thriving in that role and was beginning to feed off of my anxiety. She is now enjoying life as my families beloved pet.

This new service dog will enable me to live more independently and improve my quality of life.

Please help in anyway you can, by donating and or sharing my story :)

What your donations will be used for:

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and consider supporting me ❤️‍