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southie · 04-02-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocking4Epilepsy

Thought we could share if we had service dogs.

How long have you had one?
What do you have one for?

What kind do you have?
What is the dogs name?

lets share

hugs

Yes - I had a Certified Hearing Guide Dog, a AKC
Samoyed that was donated by a Breeder because
she had so many defects and flaws and she couldn't
even be sold for "cheap".

The Guide Dog Service wasn't sure that she could
be trained but her response and alertness was so
well defined, in spite of her 3.5 years of age, they
decided to give it a shot anyway, and she did very
well, but they had a hard time finding a hearing impaired
person who would take the dog in, until I came along.

Her name was Star - and she and I were meant for
each other, and we hit it off the moment we saw each
other, and the Director had never seen anything like it,
in fact, the dog came home on the same day!

After a few weeks of adjustments - well that's what
the Director said, but she was already adjusted in 5
seconds!

She made herself a home, and we were a team! After
several months of progress, she was certified and all
paperwork, ID's, leash, collar, etc were completed.

But Star was different - she went the extra mile.

She seemed to know when I was going to have a seizure
before I did or anyone else did, for example, she knew
when a Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal) was going to happen,
she would push and shove me to the couch, or floor,
or to my bed, whichever was the closest, and curl up
in a ball and stay there and was so protective and would
not let anyone nearby (except family member).

One episode when we were outside, I don't know what
kind of a seizure I had, but witnesses saw it and called
911, and paramedics and cops were there, but they
just couldn't reach me because of Star, she wouldn't
permit them to be near me, since it was daytime, they
went on a manhunt looking for my son (it was in the summer
and school was out), and by the time they got my son they
were able to get the dog out of the way.

But it only resulted more problems (my son was small and
the dog is a workhorse), so the paramedic had an idea, for
my son and the dog to sit there, while they treated me,
and it worked like a charm. Then they transported me to
the hospital where I was admitted for 3 days, and I was
told Star wouldn't eat at all, and all she would do is look
out the window and wait patiently by the door for me and
just whimper.

Once they got my meds lined up, the Hospital called and
said it was time for me to go home and bring the dog - and
Star just went berserk when she saw me in the room, just
so overjoyed, and once we stopped to get my meds, and
headed home --- she ate like a PIG, ate like there was no
Tomorrow!

Star was very short-lived unfortunately - this is why my
son and I cry off and on.

One day, she couldn't get up, I had to carry her to the Vet,
her hips were gone, and they also found other stuff wrong
with her, and the very next day, the Guide Dog Service took
her away from us (it was part of the contract), and we never
got a chance to say "Good Bye", we weren't even allowed to
even keep her as a family pet. We learned later, she passed
away not long afterwards. She died very young.

Nothing can replace Star.

She wasn't a seizure response dog at all, she was a Certified
Hearing Guide Dog that went the extra mile. She only responded
to Tonic Clonic seizures 3 times before anyone knew about it
and to Complex Partials several times and that was it. Psychological?
I don't think so. There was no way she could have known about
me having Epilepsy, she wasn't trained for it - but she knew.

I was supposed to get another Certified Hearing Guide Dog,
unfortunately that Guide Dog place went under and out of business
due to excessive complaints and tactics and other things that I'm
not aware of ... as this was many years ago.

Both my Son and I miss Star very, very much, and yes, tears are
shed when we see her pictures.

Would she be alive today if she was well?

NO - she wouldn't. Her time would have expired years ago, probably
at least 10 years ago tops or more, for a normal dog's lifespan.

I've been putting in for years applications for Hearing Guide Dogs
and Service Dogs, but the hardest thing is ~ being rejected, all
because I'm on SSDI and SSI - and I do not have sufficient income
even though I'm a homeowner!

I've pretty much given up filling out applications now - I cannot
bear to fill out anymore. My Doctors in the past have gotten so
tired of putting in their letters of recommendations, and only for
me to be "rejected" or "denied" due to lack of income.

IT HURTS! Especially when I live alone, so in exchange, I have my
son living here instead and returned to being a landlord and giving
up my own bedroom and sleeping on the floor and giving up my
privacy because of this.

I apologize if this is long.