Meet my emotional support dog. My little Yorkie, Casey, makes a bad day better. He is like medication, therapy, and a good friend all wrapped into one little dog. He is my emotional support dog. Oh, I know, all of our pets are emotionally supportive, right?
The picture shown is not unusual. Whenever I lie down my little Yorkie, just like he is in the picture, cuddles into the crook of my arm. That is me on a bad day, both mentally and physically. My mood was low and my back was hurting. Lying down on the floor was my least uncomfortable position. And there he is, my little sidekick, helping me be not only comfortable but comforted.
I’ll never forget the day I started looking for an ’emotional support’ dog. The idea came from an article in the local paper that my husband read about therapy dogs for soldiers with PTSD. It resonated with both of us and we felt that God was calling us to get a dog, just for me. Bipolar depression is my constant companion and I will mention it now and then. I want people to know that mental illness can happen to anyone. I want people to know what kind of help is available. I want people to know that it is okay to talk about it. I want people to know that they are not alone and that they are not the only ones who suffer this way.
My husband and I started the way we start most big decisions, with prayer and then the search for an ’emotional support dog’ began. There was an ad for a Yorkie puppy that began ‘You will be his whole world’. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. All I knew was that he checked off all of my requirements and that he was located just minutes from my home.
Arriving at the given address, the breeder, Cheryl, asked me to sit with her and asked why I wanted a Yorkie. As I explained my situation to her she was both sympathetic and understanding. I felt like I had made a new friend. There were only two puppies in sight so I asked which one was the one for sale.
She pointed to a little black ball of fur and said, “That one”. My life changed for the better in that moment.
“Could I pick him up?” I asked.
“Sure,” she answered calmly.
As I took him in my arms, he looked up at me and then curled up on my lap and fell asleep. Of course, you can probably guess the rest of the story. Is it possible to fall in love in a moment? Well, with a puppy it is! He was mine! We took him home a few weeks later and the ad proved to be right. I am his whole world. He makes a difference. Just petting him can soothe my anxious thoughts. Looking into his big brown eyes melts my heart. He seems to know when I am having a bad day and stays closer than usual. I wouldn’t give him up for a million dollars!
The articles about therapy dogs were right too. They have a calming effect and a grounding effect, plus they bring joy like nothing else.
Joy is the opposite of depression.
Calm is the opposite of anxiety.
Grounded is the opposite of frantic.
This dog makes all the difference to me. Here is a picture of me and him when he was just a puppy. I don’t know who is more content in that picture, him or me.
I will never miss an opportunity to tell someone who suffers from any kind of mental illness to get help. Maybe that kind of help can come from a dog as it did for me.
And I will never miss an opportunity to tell anyone that the greatest help of all comes from the one and only true living God. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I like to make it personal and say that God is MY refuge and MY strength. God has proven a ‘present help in trouble’ for me. He even used a little dog to help me.
