| Current Mood | Blessed |
| Age | 4 years |
| Birthday | June 29, 2004 |
| Gender | Female |
| Favorite Toy | Any toy with a squeaky noise attached. |
| Favorite Activity | Chasing my tail... |
| Number of Friends | 609 |
blurbMy human Karla calls me a godsend, but I don't know what that is-I think it means I work really hard as her service animal to keep her safe! Who would have thought an aggressive antisocial breed like me would turn out to be such a social loveable furball!
about meI am a service animal that works really hard for my mistress, Karla. She is an army veteran that has PTSD so i provide alot of help to her.
How did I become a service animal- let my human tell you ALL ABOUT IT, I am going to take a REST.
Well, KARLA was living in Arizona in an apartment complex that did not allow aggressive breeds, aka pit bulls, chowchows, you get the picture.
The Apartment manager had an uncanny "gift" that allowed abused dogs to find her, and strike up friendship and adoption. Well, THIS chow Chow puppy showed up on her doorstep, with a big clump of 'poo" stuck to her butt. She sent the puppy home with her part time maintenance man who also had a chow, who lived 6 miles away..The next morning there is a chow chow at her door, with a piece of poo stuck to it's butt. . . she called her maintenance guy and found out the puppy had snuck out through a hole in the fence later that evening AND FOUND HER WAY BACK to the apartment manager by morning. My daughter told me of this story and I went to go meet her...I was standing 50 feet away from her apartment, and looked through the door (cause she wasn't there, the daugher let me look from the street) and when I saw her little puppy face I heard(yes I hear voices) Neil Young singing "Cinnamon Girl". Yes, it was love at first sight.
Anyway, I spoke to the apartment manager and asked her how I could possibly own this dog. She said I needed a service animal letter from my doctor- since then she would not be a agressive breed/pet and exempt from the clause & pet rent fee and be a 'service animal".
Since I received my care from the Phoenix VA, I was unsure as to the whys and how, but at the time I was in a PTSD Research group, and was able to get the letter from the research psychiatrist.
Then her training started. Obedience and socialization were my priorities because both of us had very little experience in either., hehe. We would walk to petco and hang out, meet other dogs with the objective of her getting to know at least 100 other people besides her family for proper socialization.
Then the traumatic experience of a lifetime. But a good one.
Since I was living with my daughter and then unemployed husband, we needed to take in a roomate. We had another female vet move in , but was unaware she had seizures. One night, cinnamon came into my room in full panic attack, barking, going back and forth between my roomate's room, and back to me. I got up, and found my roomate seizing. I let cinnamon do her job- she licked her face, and gently tugged on her hand , until my roomate reached consciousness. We got her stabilized with some meds, and the truth came out...she had one more seizure that night, and Cinnamon did the right thing every time.
Unfortunately during that month, my husband and daughter left for Oregon WITH MY TRUCK I HAD JUST PAID OFF, leaving me and my roomate in Arizona. Later that week my roomate sucBark-Barkbed to the pleasures of crack and I never saw her again.
We had to move to a group home for vets In Tempe, nearly 11 miles from my apartment in Mesa... I was not sure Cinnamon would adjust- but she adjusted better than me. We continued with her training, riding the buses every day to the VA, shopping, hoping against hope that I would not have one of my "anxiety/panic attacks". Then the inevitable happened, and all that training paid off- I had one of my spells that I get totally disoriented and could not figure out which way was home. So I kept telling Cinnamon "home", and had to rely on her. She found the right bus stop to get on, got me off at the right bus stop, and led me to the house...what an amazing dog, and all this before she was 3 years old and eligible for service animal status...
We have since moved to Roseburg Oregon pop. 20K, and moved to several different apartments, divorced the "still unemployed" husband, married off the daughter and are finally in a nice "home." Cinnamon doesn't have to work at keeping me safe from society now, just works at keeping me in line with the everday things.
Stay posted as my friend an I will keep you up to date on my adventures in Oregon!
latest gifts and journal entries3 months of fire season, 9 months of rainy season....
Posted on: October 5, 2008 at 1:20 am
It's been raining for 3 days now. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little. See, three days ago, it started to drizzle...no big deal, right? But the leaves were sticking to my fur with the drizzle, and mommy thought this was funny-i wasn't so easily amused. But we really needed the rain to clear out all the smoke from the fires. I couldn't see Mt. Nebo from my yard anymore and it's only a mile away...
Comments
add a commentUnnamed (Nov 18th 10:46 pm)
Iris (Nov 17th 3:48 pm)
You have beautiful eyes.
Nipper (Nov 9th 9:00 pm)
I'm not a service dog, but my Dad has PTSD and I help him by loving him to death! Congrats for doing such an important job!
Fonzie Tuxedo (Nov 9th 7:57 pm)
Hey Cinnamon, jist dropped by to say woof! Wisht I could grow bigger like you. Then Mamma would trust me to go out my doggy door at night. She's scart a coyote or even a fox might try to eat me. If'n I were big as you I know I could take on a fox, and even a coyote. Hope you and Karla had a good weekend. Puppy Hugs, Fonzie
Benjamino (Nov 8th 3:19 am)
Ciao Cinnamon and thx to be my friend...You're beautiful...Hope we can be good friends...Ciao-Bau...Benji
Paris (Nov 1st 6:45 pm)
HELLO, HOPE U R HAVING A GREAT WEEKEND! XOXO PARIS
ღEmma Dreamღ (Oct 31st 2:57 pm)
Hey Cinnamon! I love your story. What a smart dog you are!!!!
Jaya (Oct 30th 10:09 am)
Wow Cinnamon! You are an amazing dog! Mom & I loved the story of you saving your mommy and her roommate. Thanks for being my friend!
Precious (Oct 19th 7:11 am)
Hello Cinnamon, We arrived back home last Thursday we missed all the rain you had, mom doesn't like the rain..She was working out of state so we were staying with our Grandma in California, it was nice sunny weather...but we did come home to green grass and a bunch of leaves everywhere! that means mom will be cleaning out gutters again. I believe you and your mom are made for one another! sounds like a match to me. I love your pretty eyes! It would be a pleasure to be friends with you. Precious from Roseburg,Oregon
Teddy (Oct 15th 7:39 pm)
You sound like a great dog and you're cute. I think you'll love Oregon, even if it rains a lot. The days it doesn't are worth the wait.
Fonzie Tuxedo (Oct 14th 10:47 am)
HEY CINNAMON, IT WAS GOOD TA HEAR FROM YOU. I WUZ VERY BUSY THE PAST FEW WEEKS ENTERTAINING MY NANA AND PAPPA FROM VIRGINNY BEACH. THEY TEND TA SIT A LOT AND I DID MY BEST TO KEEP THEM AMUZED! I WENT THRU MY WHOLE BAG OF TRICKS AND EVEN AMAZED MY OWNSELF. HOW 'BOUT YOU, MY FRIEND. HOW ARE YOU AND KARLA DOING? DID YA DRINK THE MILKSHAKE I SENT YA? I MADE SURE IT WAS BLUEBERRY FER THE ANTI-OXIDENTS AND CUZ I KNOW WE AIN'T SPOSED TA HAVE CHOCOLATE EVEN IF'N IT DOES SMELL GOOD! HOPE Y'ALL ARE ENJOYIN THE BEAUTY OF AUTUMN. SEND ME A NOTE WHEN YA GIT A CHANCE AND FILL ME IN ON WHAT Y'ALL ARE UP TO. YORE GOOD BEST FUREVER FURIEND, FONZIE
Russell (Oct 13th 6:43 pm)
Hey Cinnamon! Thanks for being my friend! I think you have the coolest eyes! I wish I had some like that!
Clue (Oct 13th 3:29 pm)
Oh Cinnamon - what a wonderful story about you!!! You are amazing. What a beautiful and brave girl you are, I know you mom loves you a lot. Your new bud, Clue
Fonzie Tuxedo (Oct 12th 9:23 pm)
HEY CINNAMON, YOU LOOK SO HAPPY STROLLING LONG THAT WATERFRONT. YORE PICS ARE GORGEOUS. YA KNOW WHAT I WUZ THINKIN LOOKIN AT YORE PICS? I WUZ THINKIN THAT CHOWS ARE JUST BIGGER POMS! YEP...I DO BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE CUZ I WANTA BE RELATED TO YOU! BARK ATCHA LATER.
gretchen (Oct 9th 8:29 pm)
hi u r such a stunning dog and cinnammon is the perfect 4 u!!!
sammie (Oct 8th 5:36 pm)
hi u r such a stunning dog and cinnammon is the perfect name 4 u!!woof