Katie's Canine Life Partner
Donation protected
Hi! Katie is currently taking a semester off from her Junior year of college at Washington University in St. Louis. She is raising funds to be able to responsibly raise a puppy over the summer of 2018 through her senior year, after which she will assume the costs herself. She is not yet in a financial position to take this on alone but feels that it is vital that she have this support through her final year of school. Her therapist agrees that it would be a good idea.
From Katie:
This is a commitment that I have put a LOT of thought and time into. I want to do it right, but doing it right is EXPENSIVE. Financing this endeavor myself would mean having to wait a few more years, and I feel very earnestly that doing it now will ensure a happy, healthy, and successful final year at school. It is likely also the last time in my young adult life where I will have a flexible schedule suited to raising a puppy.
The decision to get an emotional support and/or service dog is one I have been researching and contemplating since my Freshman year. Instead, while still living in the dorms, I purchased a Peace Lily to prove that I could keep a living thing alive- it is still thriving!
I am choosing to pursue this now because I am finally in a place where I am willing and able to help myself and to set myself up for success at school. I lived alone in an off-campus apartment for my Fall 2017 semester and it was the scariest, darkest, most isolating time of my life. I have made a commitment to setting up a better living situation and more accessible support network for 2018. I believe that this puppy is a key part of this plan and that caring for a pet will help me to care for myself and find purpose in my day-to-day life.
Many people in eating disorder recovery cite their pets as key components of their success: knowing that their dog or cat needs to eat a certain amount of food each day reminds them that they need to eat too. Stress reduction, support during anxiety/panic episodes, and exposure therapy for agoraphobia and isolation are just a few of the benefits I hope to gain in this process.
Getting out of the house is very difficult for me when I am feeling depressed, sometimes for days or weeks at a time, and keeping my living space tidy and sanitary is nearly impossible. Living with a dog would force me to take care of my space and maintain a healthy routine in a way that I haven't been able to do for myself. I also hope to benefit from the hormone regulatory and mood-boosting effects of a bond with woman's best friend, two things that I have always struggled with (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome).
I feel very passionately about pet adoption and it is a great option for many people. After much research and consideration, I believe that purchasing a puppy from a breeder is the best option for me. I believe that supporting responsible breeders and breeding practices is another way to prevent animal homelessness, euthanization, and abuse.
This puppy will be my companion, my emotional support animal, and my service animal, and he requires a temperament suited to the job. I will likely be living in an apartment with a very small yard, and adopting a puppy from a shelter means that it is difficult to accurately predict its size as an adult. Choosing a dog suited to my lifestyle, needs, and capabilities is ultimately what will be best for the dog's quality of life.
After much research and deliberation, I have selected the Miniature Schnauzer breed (affectionate, tolerates being left alone, moderate energy, loyal, very trainable). I have found three breeders in the midwest/south (I attend school in St. Louis and live in the Chicago suburbs) that I feel comfortable purchasing a puppy from. They breed and raise puppies responsibly, ethically and compassionately. They are linked below:
Riggs Miniature Schnauzers
http://www.ilovemyminischnauzer.com/
Jennifer Crouch: My Lovable Schnauzers
https://www.mylovableschnauzers.com/
Faubert Miniature Schnauzers
https://www.faubertminiatureschnauzers.com/
Each of these breeders charges $1900 for the dog and all preliminary documentation, vaccinations, and exams. $400 would go to one of them as soon as possible as a deposit to secure a puppy.
https://www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership
^^This website estimates the cost of the first year of pet ownership. I am asking for financial support through the first year of the puppy's life, after which I predict being able to support him myself upon graduation and job placement.
$3,830 includes the cost of an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) registration, the price of the puppy, specialized service/emotional support training for the puppy, and the first year costs of raising the dog.
Please consider contributing to and/or sharing my campaign.
Love and Hugs,
Katie
P.S. If this works out, I promise to send regular updates and puppy pics to everyone who helped make this possible!
From Katie:
This is a commitment that I have put a LOT of thought and time into. I want to do it right, but doing it right is EXPENSIVE. Financing this endeavor myself would mean having to wait a few more years, and I feel very earnestly that doing it now will ensure a happy, healthy, and successful final year at school. It is likely also the last time in my young adult life where I will have a flexible schedule suited to raising a puppy.
The decision to get an emotional support and/or service dog is one I have been researching and contemplating since my Freshman year. Instead, while still living in the dorms, I purchased a Peace Lily to prove that I could keep a living thing alive- it is still thriving!
I am choosing to pursue this now because I am finally in a place where I am willing and able to help myself and to set myself up for success at school. I lived alone in an off-campus apartment for my Fall 2017 semester and it was the scariest, darkest, most isolating time of my life. I have made a commitment to setting up a better living situation and more accessible support network for 2018. I believe that this puppy is a key part of this plan and that caring for a pet will help me to care for myself and find purpose in my day-to-day life.
Many people in eating disorder recovery cite their pets as key components of their success: knowing that their dog or cat needs to eat a certain amount of food each day reminds them that they need to eat too. Stress reduction, support during anxiety/panic episodes, and exposure therapy for agoraphobia and isolation are just a few of the benefits I hope to gain in this process.
Getting out of the house is very difficult for me when I am feeling depressed, sometimes for days or weeks at a time, and keeping my living space tidy and sanitary is nearly impossible. Living with a dog would force me to take care of my space and maintain a healthy routine in a way that I haven't been able to do for myself. I also hope to benefit from the hormone regulatory and mood-boosting effects of a bond with woman's best friend, two things that I have always struggled with (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome).
I feel very passionately about pet adoption and it is a great option for many people. After much research and consideration, I believe that purchasing a puppy from a breeder is the best option for me. I believe that supporting responsible breeders and breeding practices is another way to prevent animal homelessness, euthanization, and abuse.
This puppy will be my companion, my emotional support animal, and my service animal, and he requires a temperament suited to the job. I will likely be living in an apartment with a very small yard, and adopting a puppy from a shelter means that it is difficult to accurately predict its size as an adult. Choosing a dog suited to my lifestyle, needs, and capabilities is ultimately what will be best for the dog's quality of life.
After much research and deliberation, I have selected the Miniature Schnauzer breed (affectionate, tolerates being left alone, moderate energy, loyal, very trainable). I have found three breeders in the midwest/south (I attend school in St. Louis and live in the Chicago suburbs) that I feel comfortable purchasing a puppy from. They breed and raise puppies responsibly, ethically and compassionately. They are linked below:
Riggs Miniature Schnauzers
http://www.ilovemyminischnauzer.com/
Jennifer Crouch: My Lovable Schnauzers
https://www.mylovableschnauzers.com/
Faubert Miniature Schnauzers
https://www.faubertminiatureschnauzers.com/
Each of these breeders charges $1900 for the dog and all preliminary documentation, vaccinations, and exams. $400 would go to one of them as soon as possible as a deposit to secure a puppy.
https://www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership
^^This website estimates the cost of the first year of pet ownership. I am asking for financial support through the first year of the puppy's life, after which I predict being able to support him myself upon graduation and job placement.
$3,830 includes the cost of an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) registration, the price of the puppy, specialized service/emotional support training for the puppy, and the first year costs of raising the dog.
Please consider contributing to and/or sharing my campaign.
Love and Hugs,
Katie
P.S. If this works out, I promise to send regular updates and puppy pics to everyone who helped make this possible!
Organizer
Katie Frantz
Organizer
Saint Louis, MO
