Why I’m helping my friend with AIP train her lab to be a service dog
Katherine requires round-the-clock support due to porphyria symptoms
Katherine was in her room putting clothes away with her chocolate lab, Bentley, by her side. Before she realized what was happening, she dropped to the floor, scraping her back on the bed on the way down.
Bentley quickly came to the rescue by getting onto her lap and licking her face until she came to. Bentley stays right by Katherine’s side and is always looking for her when she’s not in the same room as him.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t her first time passing out, nor would it be the last. One time she even broke her arm. Katherine has these spells quite often, especially after she receives infusions to help manage her acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) attacks.
A need for round-the-clock support
In my last column, I shared how I met Katherine Cruz at last month’s PorphyriaPalooza event in Chicago and bonded with her over our shared AIP diagnosis. Since then, we’ve kept in touch, and I’ve had an opportunity to learn about the daily struggles she faces.
Katherine Cruz and her dog, Bentley, lie on the bed. (Photo by Katherine Cruz)
Katherine started experiencing AIP symptoms in 2020 and was officially diagnosed in 2021. She’s had Bentley since he was born two years ago.
While Katherine suffers daily from awful pain in her stomach and legs, nausea, headaches, confusion, weakness, and exhaustion, she’s not alone. Her mother and her dog make up her support system, and they rarely leave her side. However, Katherine does work, and she can’t have her support system with her at her job.
For that reason, it’s now my mission to help her get Bentley trained as a service dog.
According to The Academy of Pet Careers, it can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 to train a service dog, which is not something she can afford.
I plan to help Katherine by finding sponsors or an individual willing to train Bentley at low or no cost. Formal training is recommended, but not required, to become a service dog trainer.
While messaging with Katherine, she told me, “I would love to have Bentley serviced trained! I’d love it if he knew how to help me get the phone or the response for passing out, as well as [help me when I forget] at times where I park. It would definitely give me peace of mind knowing that I had someone looking out for me nonstop.”
While my dog, Rowdy, is not a trained service animal, I benefit from his presence when I’m suffering from AIP. Just like Bentley, Rowdy knows when something is wrong. He stays by my side and helps alleviate my anxiety, depression, and confusion.
If you live with porphyria, do you have a service dog? If not, do you think you would benefit from having one? How so? Let me know in the comments.
Note: Porphyria News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Porphyria News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to porphyria.
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