From Surviving to Thriving

This Big Day of Giving, I’m supporting 4 Paws 2 Freedom to help sponsor individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a service dog. Your support helps open doors - literally and figuratively - and makes partnerships like mine with Fisher possible for more people. Please consider donating to this amazing nonprofit. As the saying goes, anything helps to get aid to those who need it.”

Living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) isn’t always visible - but it is often deeply disruptive. Affecting an estimated 2–3% of people worldwide, OCD is both common and often misunderstood, with many going years without a diagnosis. I wasn’t diagnosed until the middle of my undergraduate program, and for a long time, I didn’t realize how much support I truly needed - or that honestly, I would even qualify for a service dog.

That changed with Fisher.

Fisher is my service dog in training (SDiT) through 4 Paws 2 Freedom, and he’s already made a crazy, meaningful difference in my daily life. He helps interrupt compulsive spirals, provides grounding through deep pressure therapy, retrieves my nightly medication so I don’t forget, and gives me the confidence to move through the world with more independence. On more challenging days, he can find my partner in a crowd, open doors when contamination OCD makes that difficult, and guide me back to my car when I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a nudge of his paw to bring me back when I start to dissociate.

What many people don’t realize is that access to a service dog like Fisher is not a given - not even an option for most. The training, time, and care required to prepare a reliable service dog are extensive, and the cost can be out of reach for many of the people who would benefit. For individuals already navigating the financial and emotional strain of a disability, this can make this life-changing support feel unattainable.

That’s why organizations like 4 Paws 2 Freedom matter so much. They work to bridge that gap - helping individuals access highly trained service dogs regardless of financial circumstances, and ensuring that support isn’t limited only to those who can afford it.