“Do You Really Need a Service Dog?”
It’s hard to imagine a life without a service dog.
But, I’ve been without one for a long time. It wasn’t until my doctor said,:
“Have you thought about investing in a service dog?” My reply was almost sarcastic but I was being serious:
“You got $14,000 laying around?” She looked at me in surprise. Yes, that’s how much one is. My doctor’s response: “There are plenty of dogs in the shelters! Adopt one and have it trained!” It hit me that my friend Nikki did this with her service dog, Pepper. So, that’s my option right now.
I used to have a dog, actually, I use to have several dogs. I had two childhood dogs and one dog that I got for service dog training.
I loved them all very much. The only problem is, I had to put them all down, with a week of each other. I put down my childhood dogs, Buttons and Cookie Bear, within days of each other and that was hard enough. I had those dogs since I was in middle school. When I got my service dog, I was elated and so excited. She was MY OWN. She was MY DOG. I got to take care of her and I got to take her everywhere with me. At the time, I was working for a place that wouldn’t allow me to bring her, and I thought that defeated the purpose of having her. It was upsetting and I really hated leaving her at home. Even if I worked 4 hours, I really wanted to take her with me. But she died a year after I got her. I was really sad about it and haven’t been able to get a new dog since. Reason this being:
- I live in an apartment
- I have not been able to make enough to afford a dog — let alone afford the training.
But I’ve been in dire need of a service dog for a long time. The job that I’m at now, is AMAZING. I can bring my dog once I get her/him.
But, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve been missing having a dog that cares about me around. My dog, Cookie bear, was really the perfect dog. She didn’t bite, she didn’t really bark and she loved giving kisses and loved to snuggle. When I lost her in 2019, It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through, she died in my arms and so did my service dog.
My service dog had something happen with her insides and I’m really not sure what was wrong, but it cost me $150 to put her down and I cried for months. I miss her. She was my buddy, and when I got her, I noticed that she had breathing problems right away, but I didn’t know if I should have returned her, because I would have had to wait another 2 years for another one. But she was everything. She was my baby girl.
But now, I’ve been without a dog for so long and I’ve become numb. I miss having a dog so much that I cry about it so much. Dogs are everything and as an autistic woman, dogs really help me. They help me be calm, they help me be happy and they help my overall mood. I miss my service dog. I miss my childhood dogs. Yes, I go over to my parents and try to cuddle with their dog, but she’s not very “affectionate” and I hate that. She is weird and I love dogs that love giving kisses. I cry all the time when I’m all alone when my husband is on night shift, because I have no one there at the apartment with me. I want a dog so badly, but there’s always this from my husband, “We gotta get a house first!” But it’s so hard to be alone. We tried having a cat and that was ok, but I want something to lick my face and lean it’s head on my legs or just be able to go everywhere with me. My husband is more of a cat person and I hate that, but I really want one.
I really have been wanting another doodle or I want a Cavalier King Charles . I’ve been wanting them for a long time. I love cuddly, and fluffy doggies. I’ve been bitten several times by pitts and my husband has been clear he doesn’t want one (I know, I know, it sounds discriminatory), and half of the dogs in shelters (at least where I am) are pitts or pit mixes. I don’t know what I can do?
When I talk to people about doodles, they want 4,000 dollars for a damn puppy! No thank you. I paid a grand for my service dog. My god, I’m not shelling out 4,000 dollars for a damn dog, when you can shell out at least 140 for a sheltered dog, who really needs a good home.
My heart belongs to dogs and I love getting kisses from them.
I hope to get my service dog soon, because it’s gonna get to a point where I can’t take it anymore : I NEED A DOG.
