About Conners
You already know my passion of fighting the BSL and by reading my pages, you also know my heart goes out to those in distress, animals and humans.
It's hard to imagine now, that just over 5 years ago, I was isolated in my home. A phobia of leaving and being amongst the public unless I was with others. Even then, I couldn't wait to get back to the safety of my own home, my refuge.
I also developed multi health conditions that arises when I broke my neck. I was fortunate to have survived the surgery and while it was a complete success, it left me with nerve damage to my arms and hands and lack of mobility to my neck.
I went through the Post Traumatic Stress for quite a few years later and that was the beginning of my phobias. Naturally, other conditions and health problems plagued me and my health has deteriorated ever since.
A wonderful and unexpected thing happened in my life, just over 5 years ago, and that was Shasta. She wasn't suppose to be mine as I had lost my old dog, Bunny of 20 years due to old age. I vowed I would never have my heart broken like that again. No more dogs for me!
But Shasta only came to me so I could train her, socialize her and teach her to be calm for the family that owned her. They had children and I had years of dog training behind my belt. I agreed.
Naturally, I needed to take this small puppy out to do it's business and teach it house training. It wasn't so bad as we never had to go far away from my patio and it did get me out of the house, even if it was only several yards away.
Well, what comes with a puppy? People! Puppies always attract people and since we were talking about the puppy, I was able to overcome the phobia of talking to neighbours and even strangers.
It was several months now and naturally the puppy and I had totally bonded. My friends would tell me that I was sure to end up with her, but I assured them, this was just for training purposes. Who was I kidding! I loved the pup but was afraid to say it out loud in case I convinced myself. I knew that when it was time to give her back, it was going to be very difficult on me, but she wasn't mine to keep.
In those short few months, not only was there a vast change in the pup, but in me too. My walks were getting further and we even walked to the stores together. A miracle in itself. It was a lot like the old days (before my accident) that I enjoyed speaking to people once again and although sometimes I got confused, it didn't seem to matter. I was honestly happy and this pup brought life back into me. She may not have got given a metal, but in her own way, she became my hero.
Then the day came when I thought I had to give her back. I cried and cried and her licking my tears from my face. I tried to console myself by saying I could still come and visit her, but it would never be the same.
I received a phone call and because of the confusion, I didn't understand what I was being told. I was told that the pup was mine if I wanted it. I thought he meant to share and of course I said, I know she will always be a part of me. Once off the phone I cried and cried all the more. It took a good 15 minutes for me to realize what I was just told. Puppy was mine! I phoned back just to make sure I had heard right and now I cried and cried again, but this time it was tears of joy.
Since the pup was named Puppy, I decided she needed a 'real' name. Something that fit her personality. We did the name game for days and one day I stumbled across Shasta. She got so excited, but I thought it was because of us playing the name game for so long.
We continued the name game for a couple more days until I decided to try Shasta again. I couldn't believe how I got the same response from her. I told her, if that was the name she loved, then from now on that would be her name. I even included a middle name, Shasta Fawn.
Since I had already taught her how to be gentle, she was easy for me to take for walks as the slightest tugging or pulling, especially on a real pain day would feel like my arm was being ripped off. When I took her out, I taught her manners not to jump on people and to sit to wait to be petted. She loved other peoples dogs too and figured that we should stop and socialize with every owner and dog we met. A simple 10 minute walk could take hours.
Came the winter and me not being able to take out my garbage to the bins by the road, rather than rely on people, that sometimes took weeks, I decided to harness her to a sled and she pull the garbage. It was so easy and she enjoyed me putting her to work. So naturally, we tried the same thing grocery shopping. She loved it! I loved it! And between the two of us, I felt a sense of independence. No longer did I have to rely and wait for people to help me with Shasta there as a willing partner.
Over the past 5 years we had accomplished many new skills together through trial and error. She now has a proper pull harness. a wagon that turns into a sled in winter.
During times when I am in deep pain or in Chronic Fatigue, she never leaves my side. She demands nothing of me and is there to comfort and protect me. She has a great intuition as to how I'm feeling and makes a wonderful Service Dog for me.
Unfortunately, because of not being out in the public, I was never aware that I was eligible for a Service Dog. It wasn't until I started fighting City Hall regarding the Pit bull bylaws that I found out.
I thought, had I have known sooner, I could have had her properly trained and certified, but now that she was under the restricted dog act, nobody would touch her and help me as she is considered a banned dog.
I thought to know the possibilities I could achieve with her if she were certified frustrates me as we have come a long way, but there are limitless opportunities to live a rather 'normal' life if she was certified. Instead of a 2K limit, I could be traveling the city going to places I 'need' to go but can't or doing things of importance and can't.
I never gave up trying. You see, just as a seeing eye dog is a visually impaired persons eyes, Shasta is the part of me that I am not able to do. Together we are whole, but the government didn't see it that way because of her breed and not by her nature and skills.
If you wonder why I don't apply for a Service Dog, it's because Shasta loves working for me and it would break her heart to see another dog replace that, that she so loves. In return, that would break my heart too.
If by the Grace of God, a good soul will help me with this, I will keep you updated. Until then, Shasta and I will continue to do the best we can with the little we are allowed and just be happy that we have come this far.
*hugs* Conners
Update: Shasta became a certified Service Dog in 2006 and the only bullie SD in London, perhaps all of Ontario. Needless to say, the city is none too pleased with me, but little they can do since she has all her papers and certificates. *giggle*
Who says dreams can't come true? With a whole lot of encouragement from friends (on and off line), family and my faith, and a lot of persistence, my dream became our reality. I'm more independent than I've ever been since my accident. Together we have beaten phobias that I thought impossible.
I'm no longer a captive to my 2K radius as we together broke my public transit phobia and we go to places all by ourselves that I never dreamed I would. If you ever saw the movie Rocky, well I felt just like him, a victor and wanted to shout it to the world. We no longer have any boundaries and it feels Fantastic!!!!
Aw, but wait, I have one more update for you and now I know if you believe in something so much, no matter how impossible it may seem or out of reach, it isn't. You know by now I'm a fighter when it comes to things I believe in strongly, and Shasta certainly was that.
At the end of 2006, I took all of Shasta's certificates, papers and her certification paper to Animal Care Centre. It's bylaw that owners of the Pit bull breeds and look-a-likes come in person with 2 recent pictures, both frontal and side views to show all markings, rabies records, etc. All the above the owners of other breeds of dogs are fortunate not to have to do can can easily just mail in a cheque.
Even so, I spent hours in line with other bullie owners getting Shasta licensed for the year to keep her legal. Once my turn came, I not only handed over all the required papers and pictures, but also all of the documentation of hers showing that she was a certified service dog which meant her license was no fee. Naturally, it seemed as if nothing was easy when it came to Shasta and I as the clerk told me she had never done anything like this with a restricted breed before. Gullible me, not wanting all the other owners to have to wait it out while I fought for my rights, paid the fee and told her I would have it reimbursed back to me once ACC wasn't so busy getting all the other Pit bull breeds looked after. A woman quickly came out from a small office and gave me a name and number of a City Hall official to see after the new year. That seemed easy enough and I left feeling confident I'd go to City Hall and receive my money back.
I was wrong! My so called simple solution became another fight that lasted for approximately 6 months, but now I was angry and I wasn't about to walk away. If I had to make this man's life a living hell as they were mine, so be it. Shasta was what she was and they would acknowledge her for once and for all. It didn't quite go that way, but finally I did receive me money back. Not because they acknowledged her as a certified service dog mind you and I was told this was NOT a Pit bull issue, but it was because he said it was to show promise of good faith that he was looking into the situation.
Prior, I had bombarded him with laws, bylaws and anything I could get my hands on proving Shasta had ever right to be acknowledged as a certified service dog. Mr. Standford's last email irked me to no end as he emailed me finally telling me I would receive my money back, but what I had was a properly registered, legalized Pit bull. Never mind dogs biting, I felt so close to wanting to bite him myself and I'm sure smoke must have been coming out of my ears and nostrils to read this trash. The cheque came in as promised signed by our Bullie hating mayor herself. That gave me a small satisfaction as she must have been just as angry as me to have to do so. I heard nothing further for the rest of the year.
It was now close to the end of 2007 and again time to renew the dog license. I wasn't leaving it until the last days this time and a friend of mine drove both Shasta and I across the city to ACC. I was so ill with the chronic fatigue and pain that I was sure I would keel over dead waiting. The room, though not as full as last year was still a full circle around and it was going to take hours to get to the counter. I was trying to stand, then down on my hunches trying to keep my balance on Shasta. No matter what I did, I was in agony and I knew I was in for another fight which made the pain even more intolerable. I also knew I wasn't leaving this time until this issue was completely resolved even if I had to stay there and die right there on the floor. What I was sure was around a two hour wait, it was finally our time. Shasta could feel how sick I was and her full focus was on me even with another dog, an unmannerly Great Dane that was knocking everything off the counter as the owner proudly smiled on. It was even funny as some people kept their distance away from Shasta though she was in her service vest and leashed and muzzled as per law. She certainly wasn't going to bite anyone and of all places as the ACC is where they bring innocent Bullie types to put them down due to their breeds. Had I not believed in Shasta, it would have been the furthest place she would ever be in rather then place her in danger and again when I handed in all mt forms, both for the Pit bull requirements and all of her certification documents, etc., the clerk tells me the price and is giving me a receipt for the full amount once again. This time I quickly said, 'NO! I owe for a cat tag and Shasta is a (I pointed to the part on the form that read: Guide dogs, Service dogs with certification = NO FEE) a certified service dog which is why I gave you all her papers the same as last year. I told her I refused to leave like I did last year and was not going to go to City Hall to fight my case again! I wanted Shasta's file this year to show acknowledgment of her status rather than her breed. My voice showed determination even if my body looked like I would collapse any moment. Just like last year, the clerk told me she was new, so I told her to get me someone that knew what they were doing. She excused herself and went into a small office and came out with an elderly woman, that I believe was the same woman that gave me Mr. Stanford's number the prior year. She looked familiar regardless. She seeing me promptly asked me if I would like a chair to sit down. I was grateful although I would have preferred my bed. She explained she would look at my file and would be right back. Another clerk came and asked if she could pat Shasta and I said of course. Shasta didn't take her eyes off of me even for a glance and the woman said in a loud enough voice that the people in the whole room could hear, 'I've never seen a more mannerly, calm and focused dog as this. She's beautiful!' I told her her focus on me was because of her being in working mode and her knowing I wasn't well. I was glad she made that comment especially for those that think of Pit bull's as being mean and vicious. How silly they must have felt to keep their distance. The elderly woman reappeared carrying Shasta's file with a smile. She showed me that Shasta was now finally acknowledged as a Certified Service/Guide Dog and told me I would never have this problem ever again. She also said I didn't have to bring back any of her certification papers again as they were all on file. I will anyway, just to be safe. My girlfriend in the car told me it took me nearly 6 hours. I didn't care. We had WON!!!
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