And that's progress, Sharon! Good for you and little Katie!!
Gloria C
"My shield is God Most High"
Psalm 7:10
To: [email protected]: [email protected]: Thu, 8 Jan
2009 20:52:32 -0600Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] service animals
Thank you so much for understanding, Arlene!! Every time I take Katie for a
walk, I go just a little farther - even if it's only one or two steps!!
----- Original Message -----
From: arlene weaver
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 8:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] service animals
Sharon i knew where you were coning from but didnt want to put your personal
stuff out there. i know she the reason you get up in the moring. i am glad y
ou called a terapist and that katie can get you out of the house. all you
have to do now is one more step a day. prayers for you.May God walk with you
today.arlene--- On Thu, 1/8/09, SharonK <[email protected]> wrote:
From: SharonK <[email protected]>Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] service
animalsTo: "Chihuahuas" <[email protected]>Date: Thursday, January 8,
2009, 9:42 PM
I need to make several points. First, I have been disabled since 1978. My
disability is not physical. Mine is the result of growing up in a nightmare of
a home - a place that thought nothing of locking me inside a home-built coffin,
a mother who set me up time and time again to be sexually abused, a father who
blinded my sister by punching her, a brutally sadistic brother who (never mind
- I'm not getting into that here). So my disability is mental/emotional. This
disability sometimes makes life VERY difficult. So difficult that I tried to
kill myself on June 2, 2007.
At this point in my life, I have been homebound (agoraphobia) for almost 11
years. Since I got Katie, I have actually taken her for walks!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
! This is a MAJOR accomplishment for me!! Admittedly, these have been rather
short walks - about a block out. But the fact that I have left my apartment at
all is a very good sign of just how much Katie is helping me. As you all know,
I need surgery. In an effort to take a step toward getting the surgery and
help with my other problems, I contacted a therapist. When she heard how much
Katie has already helped me, she suggested I make Katie my service dog. I told
her I had no idea how to do it. She sent me a link with this statement posted
on the home page:
"IMPORTANT: It is illegal to label your dog as a Service Dog if you are not
disabled. The ADA defines a Service Animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or
other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a
disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service
animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or
certified by a state or local government."
Katie meets the requirements of the ADA - she assists me in being able to leave
my home. Therefore, she is my Service Dog even though she has not been
licensed or certified by any state or local government. Katie is the only
'thing' that has gotten me to leave my apartment in almost 11 years. With her
help, I will get to a therapist and I will get to a doctor and then the
hospital for the surgery. Eventually I will get to the point where I will no
longer need Katie by my side just to leave my apartment. But in the meantime,
she will be with me every time I go out. She gives me courage and strength.
I did not make her my Service Dog just so I can take her her everywhere and
show her off. Without her, I would not be going anywhere!!!! !!!!!!!!! I made
her my Service Dog to save my life!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !
Sharon & Katie
----- Original Message -----
From: Cim's Curio Corner
To: chihuah...@yahoogro ups.com
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 8:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] service animals
We also have to remember that just because a person looks normal doesn't mean
they are. Service dogs are now used for people with diabetes to alert when
there sugar is getting low, people with seizures to alert when they might have
an episode, there are many other reasons, people with curtain heart problems,
people with asthma both to alert with things are going bad before the person
realizes because it maybe to late at that time.
