This is just a reminder that Service Dogs are an integral part of life for hundreds of people. They make an independent or at least a partially independent life possible for many disabled people. A Service Dog may be the eyes for its blind or other visually impaired partner. It may be the ears for a deaf partner, alerting the partner to sounds. Some Service Dogs are able to alert when the partner is about to have a seizure (Seizure Alert / Response Dog) or alert when a diabetic partner is about to go into a diabetic coma or insulin shock (Diabetic Alert / Response Dog). Mobility Assist Dogs are the arms and legs for those who are disabled. Psychiatric Service Dogs help keep people with psychiatric disorders calm. These dogs enable people with PTSD, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia to go out in public.
Training these dogs is not cheap. While volunteers help keep costs down, it still costs over $20,000 to breed, deliver, ensure the health of, raise, socialize, train, match and pair-train each dog and its partner.
Please consider a donation, however small, to PAALS (Palmetto Animal Assisted Living Services) – a small 501(c)3 charitable organization that provides trained service dogs to people who need them!
PAALS takes most credit cards and PayPal
If you think of it, please note my name (Elizabeth Riggs) in the comments box (for PayPal) or the Memo section of a check. I’m STILL trying to meet my “match” for “my” mobility service dog, Emmy! You get the deduction, and I get the credit toward the match.
I was Waiting for the Woof, but now I’m Living With the Woof!
Emmy on Back Patio 11/13/08
Hi Turtlemom! Its Barbie R from MISFITS.
I have enjoyed your site so much. Your stories about service amimals – and especially Waiting for the Woff” brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing. I hope your time is much sooner than you expect!
Barbie
My son is turning 3 two days after valentine’s day. He is my valentine, my christmas present, my best mother’s day gift possible. He’s the smartest person I know, the funniest, the most handsome. He’s the bravest. His name is Robin, named after the bird I associate with spring, a time for hope and new life. He has type one diabetes.
He was diagnosed at 14 months. His favorite thing in the world is dogs. We play “I’m a doggy” all the time. His favorite stuffed animal is Ruff ruff, which he’s had forever, but now it’s old and dirty so he got a replacement, but instead of tossing out the old one he just has “Clean Ruffruff” and “Dirty Ruffruff”.
He doesn’t like to go to sleep. He says things that break my heart like “I don’t want to be like this.” I want him to have one of these dogs.
What do I have to do to make that happen. Money is definitely an issue, but I’d come up with whatever I could. Thanks so much,
Angie Whitaker
I’m another Orthodox Christian; my youngest son’s godmother pointed out your site to me. He has a service dog, a 3-year-old goldendoodle that has made a very large difference in his life.
I’d love to hear from you, to talk about service dogs in the Church. Are your priest and the people in your parish supportive of your desire for a service dog? Will your dog be allowed to go to Church with you? Our priest and bishop are not at all supportive of the use of service dogs; as a result, our son often is unable to attend church. But I’d love to hear your experience.
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Recently after atending worship with my service dog for five months, I received an email from the pastor (LCMS, in Milwaukee) requiring that my dog was no longer to be brought to church. I really was not surprised; I had heard the comments. Almost everyone welcomed him but there were certain individuals that did not understand my need for him. NIXTER was always well behaved; one of the members commented, “All he does is lay there!” It is quite a shame that the environment that should practice love and tolerance and kindness has become so selfish and hostile. The discrimination endured by the disabled is, at times, quite subtle; it is disgusting when it is displayed in the house of God!
Actually, I’m surprised at a number of things. First, why did the pastor send you a letter rather than coming to you and discussing it with you? Second, what “rules” were being broken – or were influential people just being hardhearted? I know in the Orthodox Christian Church, there is a pretty hard and fast rule about dogs being inside the Church – because of certain sacramental and canonical considerations. While they don’t make a lot of sense to those of us who have service dogs, I respect their stand, and don’t bring Emmy with me when we go to Church – I don’t want to banish her to the Narthex. But the LCMS, to my limited knowledge does not have a sacramental rule about this. I suggest, strongly, that you go to your pastor and discuss this with him. Explain why Nixter is necessary to you, no matter where you go and whether or not he is actively “doing something” for you that can be seen and understood by other people. Face-to-face it will be hard for this pastor to deny you what you truly need and must have with you in order to go to Church and receive the blessings and the Word of God there.
Please keep in touch.
Elizabeth
…still searching. Several Lutheran congregations have been accommodating, even encouraging.
To answer your questions:
1) I believe the pastor sent an email because he knew this was not the way to behave. To look me in the eye would have been too telling and difficult.
2) I believe that the complainants were insensitive, haughty personalities that retain the it-is-all-about-me attitude. The only rules–those found in the Bible to govern behavior–were ignored by the congregants.
3) There is nothing in the history of the Lutheran church to support access limitations or denial. The orthodoxy of this particular congregation was not at issue. You are correct about LCMS.
4) Your suggestion to explain was already done, five months prior.
5) “Face-to-face” was an every Sunday occurance! He was well aware of the need. He had welcomed us personally. He would always stop by and greet both of us I believe the pastor got backed into a corner and lacked the backbone to stand tall and defend me and NIXTER either personally or guided by Scripture. There will always be the gap between the disabled, the poor, the needy. And churches cannot afford to truly be benevolent.
I was recently stunned with the reply from a local Baptist church. There was an overwhelming fear of what the dog MIGHT do! The POTENTIAL of an animal mishap was the deterrent! What if …..he peed…..bayed….snored….bumped someone….bit a child… Well, an imagination is quite silly standard!
I am still amazed that the TEMPORARY inconvenience of others superceeds the permanent needs of the disabled!
[...] dogs and her life with the one she recently acquired. Here is her page on service dogs. Click on: http://turtlemom3.wordpress.com/service-dogs/ And here is her blog which describes her life with a service dog: [...]