How Joanne and Maeve Met and Became Advocates

Usually I'm the voice of our team.  After all I'm a lot younger and prettier than Joanne and people pay more attention to young, pretty girls.  Sometimes, though, I feel I ought to let Joanne speak in her own voice.  It's good for her self-esteem.  

Anyone Seriously Interested in Training Their Own Psychiatric Service Dog?

PLEASE FORWARD AND SHARE THIS POST: Are you or someone you know seriously interested in obtaining and training a psychiatric service dog?  A contact of ours has identified a couple of four-month-old black standard poodle puppies who are good candidates to do this work.  Since finding a puppy with better than average chance of success is one of the hardest parts of obtaining and training a service dog, this is a great opportunity for the right person.

Emotional Support--Not Small Potatoes

We recently received a message from one of my fans that illustrates beautifully how important an ESA can be: 

In 1996 I had a serious brain aneurysm. I spent a lot of recovery time at my parents house. My parents had agreed to raise a Jack Russell terrier which was originally a birthday present to me from my sister. . . .

Psychiatric Service Dogs for High School Students

Joanne's been corresponding with a Connecticut high school student who has been training a psychiatric service dog for her own use. The dog is working well in public and is trained to do specific things to help with the young woman's disability. She sounds like she might be better trained than me.  Now she's approaching the hurdle of getting the school to accept her dog's presence in the classroom.

Service Dogs in Doctors' Offices and Healthcare Facilities

I hate it when Joanne has to go to the psychiatrist. It's the ONLY place she doesn't take me. I can go into any doctor's office, and her therapist, internist, neurologist, physical therapist, and gynecologist must (and gladly do) allow me in their offices. We've repeatedly gone into our local hospital together to pick up our friends after outpatient surgery. I've even accompanied her when she was sent directly from her doctor's office to a radiologist's for an x-ray.

My Manifesto and Graduation Speech

Maeve - Fall 2010 Advocacy Unlimited Advocacy Class Graduation Speech

My name is Maeve. I am not the human reading this speech. I am the dog at her feet.

Everybody keeps talking about how I'm the first dog to graduate as an advocate. Come on now, by our very nature dogs are better advocates than humans. Who is more loyal? Who keeps secrets better? Who fights to the death for your cause? Who best consoles you when you fail? Certainly not humans.