Why Your Fake Service Dog is Ruining My Life

   I know this post might make some of you angry, and I'm truly sorry for that, but it is something that is incredibly near and dear to my heart. This is my blog and my way of expressing personal opinions in order to show what living life with a service dog is really like. Because it's more than just "getting to have my dog with me all day." It's a constant struggle to fit in and it's a constant fight for my rights as a person with a disability. I pray that you understand that and please know that I am not writing this in anger. I'm not writing it to hurt feelings. I'm not writing this to spark controversy. I'm writing it because it is MY truth. This post will also be heavy with outside links so if you have any further questions on what I've said, I highly encourage you follow those links and even do some research of your own.

   Okay I'm going to start this off with an incredibly important point:

I am NOT a lawyer.

   The only "legal-ese" that I base my knowledge of service dog laws on is what comes from Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which is:

"Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.  The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person's disability."

   Now, you may be asking yourself "Okay well what does that mean 'work or perform tasks'?" The ADA "Frequently Asked Questions" page has that covered as well:

"The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability. For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure."

   These tasks can also include such things as going to get a juice box when the dog senses a lowering in blood sugar, opening doors for people who use wheelchairs, assisting in taking socks/shoes off for those of us that get lightheaded or dizzy when we bend over, or (like Zido and me) the dog is trained to tug while walking on harness so that the person's heart doesn't work as hard for them to walk. I also use Zido when I'm on the ground and I need to stand up. He is trained to plant his feet and I can place my hands in specific locations and put my full weight on him to help me stand up.

   According to the ADA, simply providing comfort to their human does NOT qualify as performing a trained task in order to be recognized as a service dog. That is what's called an "Emotional Support Animal" (ESA). Rights for people with ESAs generally fall under the Fair Housing Act because GENERALLY, ESA rights do not extend outside of a house (airplanes are different but there are separate laws regarding air travel.)

   There's another category of assistance animals known as "Therapy Animals." You have probably run into them at hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, special education classrooms, and a few other places. People with therapy dogs have VERY different rights as compared to service dogs under the ADA. According to the National Network website (look specifically at section III):

"Even though some states have laws defining therapy animals, these animals are not limited to working with people with disabilities and therefore are not covered by federal laws protecting the use of service animals.  Therapy animals provide people with therapeutic contact, usually in a clinical setting, to improve their physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning."

   This means that the rights for a person with a therapy animal extend only so far as to the place they are ASSIGNED to work. So if I have a dog that I have certified as a therapy dog and have an agreement with Children's Hospital to come on Wednesdays and Saturdays to the pediatric cancer ward between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., that's as far as my rights extend. If on my drive to Children's I have to stop at Giant to pick up some candy for the children, I CANNOT bring my therapy dog into Giant with me, because that is not his assigned location of work. My only public access right is specifically where and when I have an agreement to work with him. I know that's a little redundant, but that's an incredibly common mistake that I run across very often so I want to be sure that the difference is understood.

   Okay so now that I have all of that legal stuff out, I'm going to go to strictly my opinion. To put it as bluntly as I can, there is no excuse for someone to pass off their dog as a service dog when they are not. None. Zero excuses.

   When Zido was born on April 10, 2012, he basically went straight into training. Of course, he spent many many weeks with his mother and siblings and was in no way, shape, or form taken from any of them before the right time. But as soon as Canine Partners for Life (CPL) breeds a litter of puppies, they start taking notes. They see behaviors: they look for the brave ones, they look for the timid ones, they look for the ones that show problem-solving skills. They see everything. When the proper time came, Zido was then placed with a Puppy Raiser. I stay in contact with this family to this day, and I cannot stress how important their job was for that first year of Zido's life. Not only did they have to deal with the naughty puppy stage (they told me they still have baby-safe products on their cabinets because of Zido), but they also taught many many many of his most basic and most important skills during the year they had him. Right away, he was learning sit, stay, down, heel, back, front, side, leave-it, etc. Each month, they had to fill out a review form on Zido's progress and had to attend training sessions at CPL twice a month (I believe it's that often).

   Then, after that first year, the family gave him back to CPL so he could be trained for his future partner. AKA...me. I can't even imagine the pain they went through saying good bye to him, but every single puppy raiser I have ever spoken to has said that seeing the change their dogs make in the lives of their partners makes each tear, each pee-stain, each "Zido...NO!" worth it. Once Zido was back at CPL, he went through another year of intense training. Here, he learned how to pick things up, open doors, take off jackets, tug on harness, turn on/off light switches, open refrigerators, and the list goes on.

   THEN after a year of that training, CPL went through all of their applicants to place their dogs with the right person. I was placed with Zido on August 8, 2014. On October 10, 2014 my mom and I packed everything and basically moved to Pennsylvania for 3 weeks of INTENSE training (see my blog posts from back then to begin to understand the intensity of those 3 weeks). It was ONLY after we had successfully completed those weeks of training that we were certified as a service dog team and I could take him home. But don't think for a moment that the training stopped there. Aside from the daily obedience training, there were SIX TIMES during the first year together that we had to travel 4 hours up to CPL, complete a 2 hour Graduate Support Class, and drive 4 hours back home. Then, at our 1 year anniversary, we had to be re-certified and now we will have to go up to be re-certified every 2 years for the rest of our partnership.

   "Courtney, why are you telling us all of this? We get it...Zido is well trained. What does this have to do with fake service dogs?" It has EVERYTHING to do with fake service dogs, because you see, Zido had to go through 2 1/2 YEARS of training before we began our life together. I had to go through 10 YEARS of living with a disability that could put my life in danger at any moment of any day before I could have the security that Zido gives me. CPL has invested $30,000 into EACH DOG during their lives. Before I was even born, people with disabilities were fighting to have civil rights when the ADA was passed (July 26, 1990). And you know what? The moment someone chooses to go online, buy a "service dog vest" for $60, pay for a doctor's note from some online forum saying they "deserve" a service dog, put the vest on Fifi and walk into Target, they ruin it all.

   Legally, I have the right to walk into any establishment with Zido and no one can tell me to leave because I can't have my dog there. For me, it's frustrating beyond belief when I am told to and I have to fight for my rights to be there. When I just want to go on a fun date with Zack and I have to instead pull out my law book from Zido's pouch and prove that I have every right to have my dog with me, I'm only thinking of the ones who ruined it for me. Because I have to think that maybe that business has had a horrible experience with people claiming their pet is a service dog in the past and their tainted view is now being applied to me and my dog. According to the ADA, a business is able to ask that the dog be removed from the premises when the dog becomes out of control (i.e. barking, growling, relieving itself, interrupting other customers, walking around unsupervised). From that moment on, that business most likely thinks that ALL service dogs are disruptive and should not be allowed in. However, that's illegal, but businesses DO have some rights when it comes to service dogs. The sad part is that many businesses are too scared to ask someone to leave because they don't know their rights as a business.

   Legally, a business is allowed to ask TWO QUESTIONS of service dog partners (also on the "Frequently Asked Questions" ADA page):

"(1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform?"

   They (and any other strangers) are NOT allowed to ask WHAT disability the person has.

   If a person can't answer either of those questions, the business is allowed to ask the person to leave the dog outside. Note: the PERSON cannot be denied services, but the DOG can be denied access. Of course, people lie. That's the hard truth of humanity. So when they lie, and they keep their untrained, non-service dog in the public's eye, they become the example for the rest of us.

   Too many times, I hear horror stories of "service dogs" and while it often times leads to a compliment on Zido's temperament and behavior, it still infuriates me knowing what people are doing. I've heard of a lady that let her "service dog" walk around during a yoga class and go up to people. I've seen "service dogs" with full-blown muzzles around their mouths to keep them from biting people. These are just two of the stories I can recall, but trust me there are plenty.

   (Also, side note, there's a reason they are called service DOGS. The ADA covers dogs and miniature horses as service animals. No other animal is recognized as being an ADA-approved service animal. However, there are therapy ANIMALS because there are no restrictions on what can be a therapy animal. Fun Fact: during training, I had to read an article on a "service snake" that wrapped itself around the human's neck when it sensed an impending seizure. My analysis? The snake was sensing an impending weakness and was preparing to suffocate the human. But that's just my opinion...)

   Through all of this, what I'm trying to say is this: when a person chooses to take their pet out in public because they "just can't stand the thought of leaving her at home" or they "think this would be therapeutic for him" or whatever else they tell themselves, I want them to think of two things:

(1) It is a SCARY world out there. There are a lot of sounds, smells, people, quick-moving small children, and sights that little Spot has never encountered during his day-to-day life at home or on a walk around the neighborhood. And he loves it. When his owner takes him to Target because they want to, he is TERRIFIED of everything he is being exposed to. I'm sorry, but if they care SO much about their dog that they just can't stand the thought of leaving him at home where he is comfortable and happy, and instead choose to throw him in a situation he has never experienced, I'm thinking they're actually being pretty selfish and thoughtless. I don't care how "well trained" they think he is. He is a dog, and when a dog gets scared or threatened, he's going to do what he knows he needs to do to protect himself. They're just asking for trouble.

(2) They are ruining the day-to-day life of those of us who NEED our dogs. How would you like if you walked into a store, and you notice five separate employees eyeing you during your trip just WAITING for you to do something. One of them finally has the courage to come up and say "Excuse me, ma'am. We have a strict 'no blonde' policy so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." It sounds ridiculous right? Well you know what, Zido has become a part of me. I could just as successfully separate myself from him as I could cut my arm off and continue on my day. When a store only has poor experience with service dogs, as much as it hurts, it's no wonder they're going to ask. It doesn't make it legal and it doesn't make it right by any means, but it makes sense why they would ask. People passing off their dogs as service dogs are the reason for that.

    If you can't tell, this is something that I'm incredibly passionate about. I dream of working in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice so that I can help make the lives of all people with disabilities better. If you have any other questions, or if you have KIND comments, I would love to hear them. I will remind you that I am no expert in the law. I will either Google an answer for you or contact someone who can help, but I would love to talk about this more if anyone has any questions.

   I know I normally say "Up next on Zee and Me" but to be perfectly honest, I have put so much thought and emotions into this post that I haven't even thought about what my next one will be. All I can say is stay tuned because another one is coming up.

Love and blessings,

Zee and Me

Downward Dog: Yoga with Zido

For years, my doctors have been telling me to either try yoga or swimming in order to train my heart to not wig out every time I try to work out. Well, whenever I swim more than just a couple of feet, I start to look like a cat thrown into a bathtub. And when you're trying to be cool with your friends, looking like that just doesn't work...

So, yoga. Late last year, my dad found this place about 10 minutes from my house called Honest Soul Yoga. My mom and he checked it out and found out they had a 21 day, unlimited trial package for just $21. They figured that would be a great way to get started so they signed us up. After my finals were over for last semester, I decided to give it a go. Now, I like to consider myself kind of flexible and not a total weakling. I mean, I've done PiYo (I hadn't in like 6 months) and I've been to the gym (I hadn't in like a year) so on my first day I was thinking, "How hard could yoga really be?"

In walked the teacher. She's probably one of the kindest, sweetest, women you could ever meet. But, like every instructor at the studio, when she teaches yoga, she. teaches. yoga.

Of course, I brought Zido's blanket so he would have his own little yoga mat to stay on. I wasn't quite sure what my heart would be doing during this "Align and Flow" class (sounds relaxing doesn't it?) so I had no idea what Zido would do. Well, we got started and focused on our breathing. Not too bad. Then came the stretching. And the bending. And the planking. And the side planking. And the "lifting one leg and crossing it over the other while twisting your arms around each other." Oh and let's not forget "resting half-pigeon." Zido kept his eye on me the whole time, but never alerted. I was thinking "Okay this is awesome. I really REALLY feel like I'm getting a workout, but it doesn't seem to be doing crazy things to my heart."

After 45 minutes of some pretty intense stretches, holds, and movements, we finally reached the best time of yoga: shavasana (aka "Yoga Nap Time"). Our teacher had us stretch our legs up the wall and close our eyes while focusing on our breath. I was sore, but I felt so good and so calm. Immediately, I heard Zido move right next to me. I opened my eyes and watched him stand up and look at me with "the look." I'm not sure if my heart had just reached the point of no return or if my blood pressure did something funny, but an alert was happening. I knew what it meant, but it was at that moment I realized I had never told the teacher what he would do if he alerted me. I knew that everyone else had their eyes closed, except for her so I watched as Zido made his way to my side, turn around, lift his leg, and proceed to sit on me while staying alert about our surroundings. Now, I've gotten pretty used to this, but the teacher certainly hadn't. I can only imagine what she was thinking when she's telling us to breathe and relax, and all of a sudden sees my 64 pound lab sit on me. Needless to say, she started laughing, which made me laugh, which made the rest of the class open their eyes, which made the teacher explain what had just happened, which made the whole class laugh. All in all, it ended up being one of the best working-out experiences that I have ever had, and when my 21 days were up I immediately signed up for a membership.

Zido meditating with one of his new "friends"

Each class, I have at least one person come up and say how impressed they are by the fact that Zido just lays there. He always makes me chuckle when the instructors tell us to breathe in and I hear Zido take a deep breath and sigh it out next to me. I'm just happy that I've finally found something I can do to feel healthier. I can definitely see a difference in my body after just a couple months of doing it, and I really appreciate the friendliness of the Honest Soul staff.

I'm sorry this has to be a short post, but I have a ton of work to do! This week is supposed to be a beautiful-weather week, so be sure to get out and enjoy it! If you're into yoga, do it outside! If walking or running is more your thing, go and do it! I've learned that no matter what disability God may have blessed you with, He's blessed us even more with a beautiful world. Go out and breathe!

Up next on the blog: "Why Your Fake Service Dog is Ruining My Life"

Love and blessings,
Zee and Me

Las Vegas...Service Dog Style

   So my family is a little strange. I mean what family isn't? But, see, my family takes "family reunions" to a whole 'nother level. Most families try to get together at grandma and grandpa's house once a year, to catch up and be together with a BBQ and the dogs barking in the background under a white tent. There's probably a picket fence involved somewhere and crazy Uncle Lou telling the same story he tells every year. Yeah, not so much with mine. Every year, my mom's side of the family gets together. In Las Vegas.

   My uncles and mom have been doing this for as long as I can remember and whenever we (the kids) turn 21, we get to go, too. My cousin and I are the youngest ones, so for YEARS we have heard about Vegas. I mean YEARS. Until last June when we could finally join the big kids in the one and only Las Vegas, Nevada.

   June 20, 2015 we landed in Sin City. I knew that my first experience was definitely going to be different than my cousins', brother's or sister's first time in Vegas since I had Zido with me. He obviously did great on the plane (thank you Rescue Remedy for giving him the added comfort of sleep during take-off and landing) and overall HE did great during our trip. Me, not so much, but I'll get to that soon enough.

Zido and I at one of the art exhibits in The Belagio

  When we landed, the first thing I did was take Zido to the bathroom. If you ever take a dog to Vegas, service dog or not, the PRIMARY piece of advice I can give you is to have their booties with you at all times. Don't pack them in your suitcase. Just keep them in your purse because as soon as we stepped outside I knew his paws would be in trouble if I didn't put his booties on. Even in the shade, I felt the heat soaking through my sandals and could only image what it would do to his paws. Another thing that I found pleasantly surprising was that Vegas makes sure to put patches of fake grass around the strip for dogs to relieve themselves. If I remember correctly, the relief area by the airport was rocks, but after so many hours of Zido holding, he wasn't one to be too picky.

   We hailed a taxi who drove us along the strip to The Palazzo. I felt like a complete and total tourist. My face was plastered to the window just taking it all in, while the driver told us about the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival that was taking place. He mentioned that there was definitely going to be more people around, but that it was very exciting. Little did I know that "more people" really meant THOUSANDS of college-aged festival-goers that were going to be swarming the streets, casinos, restaurants, sidewalks, theaters, EVERYTHING at all hours of the day and night. But again, I'll get to that soon enough.

   We got to The Palazzo, and when we checked in I told them that I had my service dog and was wondering where the closest relief areas were. If there is one thing I have to say about The Palazzo, it is that they are AMAZING with service dogs. They had a map ready with paths to the closest areas outside, they had a gold tag for me to put on Zido's collar to show he was a guest at their hotel, the areas were very well kept, shaded, very large, and they were for Palazzo guests only. I seriously have nothing but praises for the hotel and the treatment we were given. My mom, sister, and I even had a spa day and they didn't bat a lash at Zido coming with me to all of the different rooms in the spa. Obviously, we didn't go into the sauna, but everything else was completely open for us.

   During the days we were there, we experienced pretty much all there is to experience in Vegas. Or, we at least got a taste of it. We gambled (goodbye to all of my money...), we ate at fancy restaurants, we walked the strip, we went to the spa, we went to shows, we shopped (see above for why I couldn't buy anything), and we even saw some show girls.

Zido and the biggest birds he's ever seen

   The issues started coming in the weirdest of ways. First of all, I would have thought that with all of the half naked women (see above photo for proof), the weird "shows" on the sides of the streets, the elaborately dressed EDM concert-goers, and the general inebriation that encompasses the entire atmosphere of Vegas, that Zido and I wouldn't stand out quite as much. Well, I was wrong. People were constantly trying to take pictures of him (to which I or my family promptly told them not to) or they were shrieking about "that dog." They stared, they pointed, they made comments. I'm not kidding...people that were walking around in less then their underwear were gawking at a dog. Normally I try to ignore these happenings, but the mixture of all of that with the constant lights and sounds and smells resulted in me having a complete panic attack on the third night we were there while walking back to our hotel. It felt like I couldn't breath and that everything around me was closing in. I slipped down a few stairs and broke down crying and hyperventilating. Zido had been alerting throughout the night and we were just trying to get me to my bed, but the attack happened before we could. He calmly took his place over me as I sat there with my family around me and he truly brought me back into focus. It felt like everything was happening all at once, but when I simply pet him and focused on his ears, or his eyes, or his fur, then everything else went away. This is embarrassing to type because that's not something that normally happens. I regularly ride the metro with hundreds of my closest friends packed like sardines, but for some reason that was my breaking point. But the best part is Zido never left my side.

   There were some other issues we faced, such as a homeless man's un-neutered pitbull charging us on the last day (we were completely fine), but the most disturbing issue was when my family wanted to go see Mystère at Treasure Island. My entire family (all 30 of us) were going to do it together, but when my dad and brother went with my uncle to pick up the tickets, they ran into an issue. LEGALLY we don't have to tell theaters that I'll be bringing my dog to the show. However, to make it easier on all parties involved, I tell them so that they can make the necessary accommodations and it just makes everything run smoother. Especially now that I work in the office that does this for people who want to come to a show at The Kennedy Center, I've learned that it just makes the whole experience more enjoyable for everyone, even if legally a person with a service dog doesn't have to. However, when my dad told them, the person said "Oh, well then we'll move her to the handicap seating." First off, it's not called "handicap." It's called accessible. Anyway, when my dad said "Okay then how many can sit with her?" the Treasure Island person said "Oh no one. It's for people that are disabled only." My dad said "Okay then never mind, she'll just sit with us. Her dog is trained to fit in tight places." Treasure Island person said "Oh no that won't happen. Now that I know she has a dog, she has to sit in the handicap section." Which brings me to my "second off"...that's not allowed.

   So basically, this person was trying to separate me from my ENTIRE 30 PERSON PARTY and would not "allow" me to sit with any of them. Unfortunately, I wasn't there with my dad to pull out the law book Canine Partners for Life provides for us to show them that what they were asking me is not only horribly rude, but it is ILLEGAL. My brother called me to see what I wanted to do and I said I wasn't going to pay any amount of money if I wasn't going to enjoy the show with my family. My parents, brother, sister, and sister's friend all chose not to go either and while I know that our couple hundred dollars means nothing to Treasure Island, me spreading the word about their inability to accommodate for a person with a disability will mean something to them. Eventually.

   At The Venetian, however, I had a completely different experience. My brother took me on a date to see Rock of Ages that plays in The Venetian's theater. We had already had our poor service from Treasure Island, so we were really worried about how this one was going to go. All I can say is it was amazing. When we went to get the tickets, this woman (named Sarah) was the one to help us. We explained the situation and what had just happened to us, and she made sure it didn't happen to us again in her theater. We got accessible seats in the back row of the front section, so the seats were regular chairs that could be moved. We were allowed to arrive early and they moved the seat from between Tim and me so Zido could lay there and not get stepped on. Guys, I'm not joking when I say we were RIGHT there. If you haven't seen the show, it's basically a musical based around 80s hits! For anyone who has seen the movie, let me tell you seeing it live is 100x better! Sarah and the ushers asked if Zido would be okay because it gets really loud, and I promised with his ear protection he would be fine. Turns out that during the middle of one of the loudest numbers, there was a sudden silence and you could hear Zido snore REALLY loudly next to me. My little buddy was dead asleep. In the middle of an 80s rock concert. Yeah...I'm thinking he was okay.

   Okay, I think that's a long enough post, but I know I'm probably missing some details! Above all else, I am so incredibly impressed and thankful for the training that Zido had to prepare him for situations such as Vegas. I keep saying he handles things like a champ, but he really does. The best part was that Zido (as you'll see in the photos) had a blast while we were there.

   Next time on Zee and Me: "Downward Dog: Yoga with Zido"

Zido gearing up for some hard-core gambling

Another day touring with my boy and his booties

First day in Vegas with my brother and sister

Celebrating Father's Day in Vegas with my dad

Love and blessings,
Zee and Me

Zee and Me...1 Year Later

   I know. I'm a horrible person. I haven't written anything for this blog in almost a year. However, with the new year comes new goals. Now, I've never really been one to set "resolutions" or goals for the new year (simply because I know I probably won't stick with it past February 2) but this year, I'm doing it.

The first two goals I've set for 2016 were:
      1. Get healthy. Feel healthy. Stay healthy.
      2. Read and interact with the bible every day.

   So far, I've actually been doing really well with both of these. I've changed my diet tremendously which has allowed me to lose some of the extra weight and feel healthier than I've felt in years. I've also taken up yoga which has been amazing for stress and strength. I'll get more into my experience with Zido and yoga in a future post, but SPOILER ALERT: he loves it too.

   As for reading the bible, I've been able to read every morning before work or school with "The Daily Bible" (find it on Amazon. It's amazing.) and I've used the SOAP method of study to interact with the Word and apply it to my life (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer).

   Now, however, I'm setting a new goal for 2016: get back to blogging. Not only does this help my writing skills (as a communication major, writing is kind of a big deal) but I truly feel like my experience with Zido is something to be shared, because let me tell you, it's nothing like I thought it would be.

I'm going to start this post with the best news of all: 

it has been 488 days since I last lost consciousness!

 

   I can't believe it. Seriously. The fact that I can now walk around and it never crosses my mind what I would need to do if I went unconscious is a testament to the change Zido has made in my life. My mom even says that for the first time ever, when I'm not with her and the phone rings, she never thinks "Courtney's in trouble" anymore. If that, alone, was what Zido had to offer me, then this partnership would be a complete success. It's only a bonus that he's grown to be my best friend who I never get tired of looking at (I mean...have you seen those brown eyes?)

   This year has also been a huge year of growth for me. Last summer, I was a graphic design intern for Hitchcock Creative. My boss and I worked with the Office of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where we made different kinds of materials for some events and conferences the office and the Center were putting on. My super proud moment was going to the 4th of July event at the Kennedy Center and seeing the HUGE banners I helped with hanging from the ceiling:

4th of July event at the Kennedy Center

My mom, Zido, and I also had some fun at the event's photo booth.

   When that internship was done, I applied and was accepted for an internship at the same office in the Kennedy Center that we were working with all summer. The Office of VSA and Accessibility is the office that helps patrons with disabilities enjoy the shows, as well as helps the artists with disabilities while they perform. The office also provides educational tools for K-12 educators to learn how to teach people with disabilities. During my time, I was the communication and marketing intern, and when THAT internship ended, I was hired as a contractor for the office. It's been really cool to see how Zido acclimates to anything this city-girl throws at him. I mean, we had to ride on the metro when the pope came to town. Long story short, not fun. But Zido handled it like a champ.

   We are currently in our LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE.....AHHHHHHHHH! Sorry, that deserves a mild-panic attack. Not that anyone is counting, but as of this post, we are 78 days away from walking the stage (yes...Zido will have a cap and gown.) What's my answer to the question that sends every college graduate into having an aneurysm? "I have no clue what I'll be doing after I graduate." I'm applying to a few places and praying like crazy that God will provide, but after that...I got nuttin.

   I don't want to say everything that this year has held, but trust me, more posts will be coming. What's coming up next on Zee and Me? "Las Vegas...Service Dog Style"

   I'm so excited to be back and would love to hear your thoughts or any questions you want me to answer!

Love and blessings,
Zee and Me

Update on Zee and Me!

Oh my goodness it's an update video!!!!!!

Hello Again!

Hello everybody!!

I can't believe I haven't been on here since December! Zido and I are doing fantastic! We're not supposed to say that our dogs are "perfect" because it's kind of a curse that as soon as the dog hears it, they'll show you that they're not. So I can comfortably and confidently say that Zido is very adequate for me :) He is doing so amazingly at school and our partnership is growing so well. Lately, we've been playing a game of hide and seek where I hide some random item and he goes and finds it and brings it back. It's helped with his retrieval so much and I seriously can't believe this is the same dog that refused to sit on command just 5 months ago!

The best news, though, is that it's been 132 days since the last time I've lost consciousness and I can only thank Zido for that. He has been working so hard and alerting me before my heart gets to the point of no return. I can't believe how confident I can be with him at my side and that for the first time in 11 years, I can honestly say that I feel healthy! My neurologist told me last month that he has never seen me so happy and that I was literally glowing. He said "Man, we should have done this years ago!" But personally, I'm glad we didn't, because then I wouldn't have been placed with my one and only Zee :)

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Kisses for Valentine's Day :)

My little present :)

What are you doing silly dog?

Someone loves the snow!

Zido's a true Patriot at GMU!

Love and blessings,

Zee and Me :)

So What's Life Like Now?

I really wish I could be posting more about my new life with Zido, but the funny part about life is that it soon catches up with us. It's been so busy with work and school, but Zido and I have officially finished our first semester of college together! Next semester will bring with it some big changes as well! We will be moving on campus into our very own room! It'll be so interesting to live in a building surrounded by college students who don't have service dogs living with them, but I love my school because of how accepting everyone is of differences. I think my floor mates will just be excited to have a dog living on their floor!

Also, yesterday, the girl who raised Zido for the first year of his life friended me on Facebook an shared some pictures of him as a baby!!!

IS HE NOT ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE?!?!

Zido has made my life so exciting, and while it's definitely not always easy, it is filled with so much laughter and memories. Every night I say goodnight to my best friend and I wake up to his nose in my face (actually I wake up to a paw to my face telling me it's time for breakfast).

I'm going to try to post more, especially over the holiday season where I'm sure we will make plenty of memories :)

Love and blessings,

Zee and Me :)