Cerebral Palsy and Pets
A personal story of companionship, connection and support
Living with cerebral palsy comes with unique challenges and experiences.
In this article, Sarah shares her personal story of how pets have brought comfort, connection and support to everyday life.
I would like to introduce you to Willow, a two-year-old Shitzu-Maltese cross.
Willow loves walks, socks, frozen peas, blueberries (any food really), people and her toy llama.
She has personality plus.
I grew up with pets – dogs, cats and chickens.
When I moved out of home, one of my plans was to get a dog, but the timing was never right.
As I got older, my mobility became increasingly difficult.
I am now using more mobility equipment and fatigue is difficult to manage.
So, the dream of having a dog felt like it was getting further away.
I live alone, in a small apartment and for the most part happily, but I was becoming increasingly isolated, because I was solely working from home and rarely left the house.
Due to my decrease in mobility in the community, I needed to move to using a fully powered wheelchair, which I was very reluctant to do.
However, it suddenly occurred to me this might mean that having a dog may be possible, because I could independently walk it (or work out a way to).
I know the logic may seem odd to some, but that was my incentive.
Once I had the thought a dog may be possible, I was excited and I honestly did not think through all of the implications – especially having a puppy.
Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.
Willow and I have worked out a lot of things together along the way.
There were a few people who said getting a dog was a bad idea.
If I had listened to others and thought too much, it possibly would not have happened.
So one day I went to just take a look and came home, unprepared, with a puppy!
Things that I have learned:
- Puppy stage is really hard. It’s tiring and messy.
- Although, having her as a puppy means Willow is very comfortable with the wheelchair, automated doors, a walker, and different people coming into the house etc.
- Dog Trainers are a good idea, but get one that fits and listens to your situation. The first trainer I got to help, although her techniques may have been spot on, I could not put them into place because of my CP physical restrictions. They did not listen, so I found another. One that listened and adapted to me and Willow. It was expensive, but Willow is now toileted and crate trained.
- We use commands that suit us – wait, sit, stop, up. Plus some basic hand signs.
- Crate training means that Willow goes to bed in her crate at the same time as me and sleeps through to morning. She doesn’t wander the house at night.
- I can’t lift Willow so she wears a harness through the day. So it’s easy to put her leash on, grab her if needed, hoist her on my lap with it etc. She jumps up on my lap for a cuddle, or into the car or onto the wheelchair.
- She walks the streets with me. I hook her leash to the wheelchair so there’s no way she is going anywhere and she can’t tip it over. When we cross busy streets I place her on my lap so she is safe. She also likes the ride and acts like a queen!
- Her food and water bowls are placed on an upside-down storage container so I don’t have to bend all the way to the floor.
For the first year I kept thinking maybe Willow would be better off with a family, with someone that could care for her better, play or walk her more.
After two years I now know that none of that is true, I can see she is loyal to me and happy.
Having Willow means I get out of the house every day, rain and heat – but I don’t beat myself up if I’m tired and miss a day.
I meet and chat to people because they want to pat Willow.
I feel that I have a reason to get up each morning.
Whether it’s a dog, cat, rabbit or goldfish – there are many positives and joy a pet can bring.
Having Cerebral Palsy has just meant it took time to find different ways to make things work for both Willow and I.
If you or someone you support is navigating life with disability and looking for guidance, the Guiding Fox team is here to help.
Based in Perth, Guiding Fox supports NDIS participants across WA with personalised Support Coordination and guidance tailored to each individual’s needs and goals.
Contact us to learn how we can support you.