Information


Get has a minion!

Squish the Flarb




Get
Legacy Name: Get


The Chibi Kumos
Owner: Paddy

Age: 9 years, 8 months, 4 weeks

Born: June 29th, 2014

Adopted: 8 years, 7 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: July 31st, 2015

Statistics


  • Level: 6
     
  • Strength: 14
     
  • Defense: 11
     
  • Speed: 13
     
  • Health: 9
     
  • HP: 9/9
     
  • Intelligence: 6
     
  • Books Read: 5
  • Food Eaten: 0
  • Job: Underpaid Art Student Intern


Trigger Warning


This pet's story does involve mental health - particularly anxiety & depression. However, I have tried to not mention anything 'too heavy'.

Continue scrolling down for the story.







Ever since she was a child, she'd been fascinated with dogs. The pet fish and budgies she'd owned, while very good pets in their own right, were never quite the same. She would dream for hours of the dog on her wallpaper magically coming to life, and the adventures they could have. She bought a collar and leash in the pet shop for her toy dog, taking him for 'walks' around her bedroom.


A year or three later, she was playing tennis in the park when a large dog bounded up behind her, and put its front paws on her shoulders. The "he's just playing" called by his owner did nothing to help her, and she felt betrayed by the owner's lack of control over their pet. She was still interested in dogs, but was a little more reserved with her dreams after that point - the 'wallpaper dog' still featured, however, as (of course) he would be much better trained.


Years passed, the wallpaper changed, and despite a huge dip in her mental health she passed her exams. Deciding she'd had enough of education, she didn't go to university and got a job in a local shop instead. That job took up so much of her day, she didn't know what it was like to have a social life, or even spare time. When she finally decided to hand in her notice and leave, she volunteered at the local dog rescue centre as a dog walker - the first time she'd ever walked a dog.
She had a few successful walks, including a couple of collies, a massive Mastiff who took her for the walk, and a Doberman, before they gave her a 'new' dog to walk - this one was far too excitable for her to handle, and resulted in her getting bitten (a "play bite") on her leg.


Her confidence dropped again at that point, feeling let down by the staff member who had allocated her a totally unsuitable dog for a relatively novice dog walker. She still liked dogs, but felt uncomfortable with them around her legs.


Years passed once more, and her mental health took another downturn, resulting in her having to leave her job. One day she was strongly encouraged to go for a short walk with a relative, and pushed herself to get out of the door - by now, it wasn't just anxiety and depression, but agoraphobia had also decided to join in. While they were out, they met a neighbour who was walking his greyhound. As if the hound could sense her anxiety, he nearly dragged his owner over to them; the hound leant against her legs, asking for attention. As she stroked the hound, she could feel her anxiety heading into the background a bit, rather than it being the main element.


Back home, realising the positive effect that meeting the dog had on her, she researched assistance dogs. She was heartened to find that mental health assistance dogs exist in the US, but after a few emails, discovered that the assistance dog charities in the UK said they only supported "physical disabilities" rather than mental ones. Disheartened, the idea was pushed to one side, and she plodded on, trying to improve her mental health in other ways.


Several years later, feeling 'abandoned' by the medical professionals who seemed determined to only want to prescribe medication and not any therapies which would help to address the root cause of her problems, she came across a video of someone in the UK who had a mental health assistance dog. Confused by this, she sent off another email and realised that while the large charities don't train them for mental health, there's nothing to stop someone "owner-training" an assistance dog - in fact there are a few organisations out there who help to train the owner, to train their dog!


Right now, things have levelled out - she can get out for walks to the town centre with a relative, but doesn't go out alone. Some days, as much as she wants to get out, the 'invisible wall' of agoraphobia takes over, and she can't even set foot outside the front door. She's still not in a postition where she could take care of a dog, but it's given her something to work towards. Maybe in the future she'd be able to walk her dog to the town centre without needing a relative with her - that's something she would love to be able to do, as while the relative is currently able to walk those miles, he's obviously getting older, and there'll be a point where he can't handle walking that distance.








Overlay by Paddy

Pet Treasure


Live Love Bark Sticker

Harvest Pet Harness

Bell ID Tag

Pet Bed

Ruffie Food Bowl

Diet Wet Dog Food

Puppy Wet Dog Food

Puppy Crescent and Bone Biscuits

Ziara Pet Bed

Bones Retractable Leash

Angus

Jakbut Dinner Canned Dog Food

Happy Tree

Monpetitchou

Spectrum Nylon Leash

Bloodred Pet Harness

Mallarchy and Carrots Wet Dog Food

Jakbut Dinner Wet Dog Food

Circle ID Tag

Heart ID Tag

Devonti Delicacy Dry Dog Food

Torrent Supper Canned Dog Food

Ruffie Healy Bones

Scruffy

Ralph

Guide Dog Jacket

Mini Delivery Sled

Raucous Dog Figure

Pupliacci

Mopley

Sun Dog

Pupetal

Willow

Happy Birthday Kumos Treat

Angelic Puppy

Time Keeper Stop Watch

2007 Puppy

Sundog

Summer Fun Kiddie Pool

Terre

Pruteekt

Black Puppy Beanbag

Frankenpuppy Plushie

Puppy Dental Sticks

Small Dog Dental Sticks

Medium Dog Dental Sticks

Large Dog Dental Sticks

Senior Dog Dental Sticks

Puppy Dry Dog Food

Senior Dry Dog Food

Diet Dry Dog Food

Feathered Friends Dry Dog Food

Endless Seas Dry Dog Food

Bovyne Roast Dry Dog Food

Small Dog Crescent and Bone Biscuits

Medium Dog Crescent and Bone Biscuits

Large Dog Crescent and Bone Biscuits

Senior Dog Crescent and Bone Biscuits

Beaubell Buffet Wet Dog Food

Torrent Supper Wet Dog Food

Senior Wet Dog Food

Puppy Canned Dog Food

Diet Canned Dog Food

Senior Canned Dog Food

Mallarchy and Carrots Canned Dog Food

Beaubell Buffet Canned Dog Food

Finger Pet Toothbrush

Double-Sided Pet Toothbrush

Senior Pet Toothpaste

Peanut-Flavored Pet Toothpaste

Torrent-Flavored Pet Toothpaste

Mallarchy-Flavored Pet Toothpaste

Bovyne-Flavored Pet Toothpaste

Pee Pad

Turf Pad

Centropolis Pet Bed

Delphi Beach Pet Bed

Omen Islands Pet Bed

Veta Lake Pet Bed

Peka Glade Pet Bed

Shadowglen Pet Bed

Shengui Guo Pet Bed

Saherimos Pet Bed

Ytiva Pet Bed

Sprinkler

Chewed Up Cane

Lovely Red Collar

Chain Leash

Flame Nylon Leash

Camo Nylon Leash

Black Nylon Leash

Black Leather Leash

Pink Leather Leash

Yellow Leather Leash

Brown Leather Leash

Blue Leather Leash

Red Retractable Leash

Black Retractable Leash

Spades Retractable Leash

Moon Retractable Leash

Field Pet Harness

Aqua Pet Harness

Arid Pet Harness

Striped Nylon Leash

Red Search Vest

Orange Search Vest

Green Search Vest

Yellow Search Vest

Orange Service Harness

Blue Service Harness

Purple Service Harness

Dotted Party Dog Horn

Flower Party Dog Horn

Striped Party Dog Horn

Doggy Fruit

Blue Toned Staying In Sweater

Gray Toned Staying In Sweater

Green Toned Staying In Sweater

Pink Toned Staying In Sweater

Red Toned Staying In Sweater

Kumos Day Kumos Plushie

Lovely Vintage Ruffie Plushie

Stucky

Faithful

Plaid Vintage Ruffie Plushie

Dhokhi

Chibi Kumos Plushie

Spotted Puppy Beanbag

Raining Ruffies

Sheeza

Flarb

Vintage Pup Plushie

Schnowi

Zhuzhu Plushie

Papku

Vintage Pup Plushie

Domrad

Party Pup

Babboo

Chichi

Pupalup

Canine Facts

Fake Kumos Plushie

Wiggles

Lunatike

Chamos

Tyuu

Laskie Puppy

Laskie

Dogo

Lucks

Puddles

Hollie

Druskar

Frenchie

Pompom

Angus

Black Huskers

Pleeez

Sabaa

Stone Pup

Folipup

Beagyle

Ears

Queenie

Hund

Kizzy

Yellow Petunia Pup Plushie

Digger

Sheeza

Finder

Ivak

Reindog

Brown Huskers

Doogle

Tramp

Jettpak

Starla

Red Slipper Pup Plushie

Trixter

Riffy

Pet Friends