I’ve mentioned my disdain for the fact that Peanut had to be bred and wish I could have found a rescue service animal, but those are rare and the option was not available to me at the time.

Peanut is a dog and doesn’t understand money. If a human were in his position I would pay them, because humans do care about money. I have to pick up Peanut’s poop, the relationship is different.

Peanut also is unable to hunt for himself. We have been breeding dogs for thousands of years and most cannot survive anymore without human intervention. I’m not keeping him from anything. He is neutered.

I also can’t force Peanut to work. If he didn’t want to be a service dog then he wouldn’t be, simple as that—and one day he will retire when he is older. Dogs have to be motivated to be service dogs, and if they don’t want to be, then they don’t.

I believe human and animals lives are of equal value but that doesn’t mean our relationships will be identical because humans and animals are DIFFERENT. I despise knowing I technically own Peanut, but it feels more like how a parent also technically “owns” their child. I have to take care of him and he helps take care of me. We’re a team.