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Originally Posted by Sunnydayz  I will shortly be enrolling Gizmo in classes for training as a service dog. I am paralyzed from my rib cage to my knees, with no bodily functions within that area. The first 2 years after my spinal cord injury, I wanted to die. So he would be an emotional support dog for my depression, but a service dog because he helps me in the fact that he makes me have to walk every day. I have what is called cauda equina syndrome, and some days looking At me, you would not be able to tell he's actually providing a service to me by getting me to do the physical therapy of walking so I don't lose that function. I would hate to be judged by how I look, because if that were to happen, the person judging me would have no idea how disabled I am, and how wrong they are to judge. I fully do not agree with buying false credentials, and agree that it ruins it for us that are truly disabled.
But, you really cannot tell if someone is disabled just by looking at them, trust me on this. The worst comment I get from people when they find out I am disabled is "well at least you can still walk" , because the fact is one day I will lose that use as my paralysis progresses, and another is I would cut off both of my legs in a heartbeat to have my bodily functions back, and to actually even just feel when I sit down. I learned when my nerves were severed during spinal cord surgery and I lost all the functions of my body from my knees to my ribs, never to judge a book by its cover. Sometimes a certain task it not fully apparent just by looking at somebody who is disabled. Is Gizmo opening my door? No, is he picking things up for me ? No, is he turning on and off lights? No. But what he is doing is keeping me walking for as long as I can, because I'm already having days where it's hard, that's why I fell a couple months ago, broke one hand, had stitches from a glass breaking and going through the other, and 2 severely bruised knees for several months. E is and eventually will be trained and certified as a service dog, even though some may not know what his service is by looking. |
I am so incredibly sorry for your condition! It must be so difficult, I can't imagine.
But, remember that a dog MUST be task-trained to be legally considered a service dog. Comfort/being near him is not enough. Also, the tasks have to mitigate your disability. I know someone online who is deaf and her dog would turn her ears one direction, and she would look behind her to see if what she heard was relevant to her.
However this is considered a "passive" behavior of dogs, much like cuddling, affection, etc, are. So it's not an qualifying task for Service Dog work. A qualifying task would be more like if she heard something, and physically alerted her owner to the source of the noise. Sometimes that is used for things like alerting to sirens and so on.
It is important to be aware of what is a qualifying task and what is not. Anything your dog can do with none, or basic training is typically not qualifying.
It sounds like, as of now, you're leaning more towards having Gizmo has an ESA.