May 12, 2021

E34—InvisiYouth Chat Sessions with Invisible Disabilities and Service Dog Activist, Bri Harris and her Medical Alert and Service Dog, Arrow

1 hour 23 minutes

We love a good dog video on our Instagram feed, but when we see a service dog video, our love and intrigue is immediately peaked. And that’s because service dogs and their handlers are a group mainstream media doesn’t often share… especially for our young adult community. Over the years, we’ve gotten countless messages asking about service and therapy dogs as part of improving the quality of one’s chronic illness or disability life, and it’s one of the most requested podcast topics. So we’re FINALLY doing an episode all about this dog community, it’s with special guest invisible disabilities and service dog activist Bri Harris and her medic alert service dog Arrow! With her own dynamic chronic illnesses, Bri having dog Arrow improved her quality of life with Arrow’s individualized tasks for assistance. And with her fast-growing Instagram showing the daily life of service dogs, educating on the most common misconceptions, and sharing a behind the scenes of service dog life with Arrow, Bri proves that service dogs strengthen life immensely… and that Arrow is a model service dog AND model-status photogenic. On this episode, Bri and Dominique (with the help of Arrow too!) get to know more fun facts about Bri and Arrow’s like all about Arrow’s wonderful reintroduction to the movie theater since the pandemic started and how she’s not gonna fall for a jump-scare horror movie, and get the facts straight with our “Top Search” segment when Bri answers the most frequent questions about service dogs like why there’s no national registration program, how people should respond to seeing a service dog (and yes, that includes no petting!), what it means when a service dog is working and performing a task, and what the main difference is between emotional support animals, therapy dogs and service dogs. And those three differences are CRUCIAL to understanding the relationship between dog and handler! STORY TIME gets real funny as Bri tells an embarrassing moment she’s gained confidence sharing that involves waiting in a car line to enter Disneyland, Arrow’s epic speed running skills and public bathrooms. Second half of InvisiYouth Chat Sessions amps up the funny with so many life stories of founder Dominique experiences, and Bri after living with Arrow for four years. She tells her top two pieces of advice for those with service dogs or looking to get/train one so they can thrive in the professional setting, soar with success in their schooling life—know your accommodations, people!—and how having supportive friends and family means giving them KNOWLEDGE on service dogs so they can back you up in public. And we end the podcast with Bri and Arrow’s Life Playlist on the must-have items when you have a dog or service dog. It includes the papers you should definitely carry which differs per state/country, best harnesses, the best items to add to your bag like Bri’s “Arrow Pouch” and these gadgets are affordable, cute AND functional for your furry companion and service dog. Bri is a guest not just packed with knowledge, but super fun AND Arrow makes her podcast debut with InvisiYouth and certainly ends the podcast with a much-watch moment! Please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode, follow Bri and Arrow @followyourarrow_gsp, and support InvisiYouth Charity by donating, following and joining our programs and community @invisiyouth!

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