Applying for a Service Dog: Making a RUFF Life Easier

Something I wasn’t prepared for when I was first diagnosed with my disability was the exhausting emotional toll it would bring.  Anxiety on top of the physical limitations could be overwhelming for me at times.  I had grown up knowing about guide dogs that can help people who are blind.  As I got older and became disabled myself I learned more about the service dog community, specifically mobility service dogs and the different tasks with which they could help. It wasn’t until I saw how much emotional support it could also bring that I realized how much I needed one.  There’s a reason dog’s are known as “man’s best friend”!  There are many programs out there, and I just completed my application to one of them.  As a person with a physical disability, let me tell you how specifically I know a service dog would be helpful to me or could maybe help you!

What exactly will a service dog do for me?

Service dogs, which differ from emotional therapy dogs, are trained to help people with disabilities mitigate necessary life activities.  There are different types of service dogs such as guide dogs, hearing dogs, medical alert dogs, and mobility dogs.   I am applying for a mobility service dog to help with daily tasks hindered by my own condition, Friedreich’s Ataxia.  A service dog can help with tasks such as opening doors, picking up dropped items, and alerting others if  I needed extra help.  As my condition has progressed, it becomes more difficult to do basic everyday tasks and a dog could help me regain some independence.  With the help of a dog I could be more confident in going out  by myself.  You’d be surprised how helpless I can feel when faced with a heavy door to get in a store or if I drop my car keys while alone.

Even though this would be a mobility service dog, the emotional support that would come with the companionship of a service dog cannot be overstated.  When I was first diagnosed about 15 years ago in high school, I couldn’t fathom how this slow progressing condition would affect me.  Looking back I would say much of my anxiety started here.  Up until this time, I had always had perfect check ups so being told at a young age that I would lose my ability to walk shattered my bubble of invincibility.  It was a tough lesson to learn at a young age but I try.  Humans are wonderfully able to adapt. 🙂  The past 5 years have been especially trying as I’ve faced more feelings of loneliness and isolation that stem from loss of independence.  The lockdowns of 2020 only compounded everything.  The beauty of a dog is they don’t care about your ability to walk or not.  Having the companionship as well as the physical support of a service dog would be an immeasurable help.  The responsibility of caring for a dog will be a welcome respite from the constant perseveration of an anxious mind.

My family has always had a dog, and I can’t remember a time without one.  Even my siblings who have moved out have their own.  Clearly we are dog people!  While my sister was away for Army JAG school, her dog Bella stayed with us for about 4 months at the beginning of 2020.  Bella is a golden retriever with lots of energy and personality which was so important me.  I know the pandemic has affected us all in different ways.  For me, it gave me a plentiful dose of anxiety.  I would be working from home and Bella would just lay at my feet with her head on my scooter.  OK so she may have been waiting for me to drop a piece of food! LOL  But that security of a dog being close was healing for me.  

From the contents of my blog you can see that I love to travel and be on the go.  The nice thing about a service dog is they can go everywhere, because they will help me perform life activities hindered by my disability.  The waiting list to get one will be long and will test my patience but it will be worth it.  I look forward to more of the world being open to me, more to DISCOVER. 🙂  Until then this blog will just be me but  wait until it include a new furry friend!

Talk soon!

Katie