DoDmerb and Support Dogs

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Nov 16, 2019
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130
Hello, I was wondering if there's any concern DoDmerb has over support dogs.

My RA this semester had suggested I look into getting one after a discussion of some stress I was having with the academic side of things (STEM majors are harder than they look and online classes don't help). The problem is the housing department at my university could potentially ask for some kind of diagnosis by a counselor/therapist/physician in order to approve the support dog. I am also aware that any diagnosis while being a contracted cadet needs to be reported to DoDmerb. This is concerning as I don't need any threats to my 4-year scholarship because of a small diagnosis for something that I predict will relieve some stress (I don't need to get stressed over something that's intended to relieve stress).

My questions are, "How does DoDmerb look at these type of situations," and "Is my scholarship in jeopardy because of it?"

Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.
 
Speaking from a parenting perspective here...this is something I’ve seen overused by a large amount of people my kids’ ages. 20 somethings. Getting a diagnosis so you can have a dog in a dorm. Or a rental. Not saying this is what you are doing. But for readers who are considering it

Thing is, doing that creates a medical record footprint that will always be with you. I’m not offering info specific to DoDMERB...the good Director of DoDMERB will do that. But rather offering that creating this footprint will always be there. Granted, if an emotional support animal is a necessity, then it’s a necessity. But be careful going this “medical diagnosis” route in order to have a pet....it’s a can of worms you may just not want to deal with. And seems to be a popular thing these days...
 
Hello, I was wondering if there's any concern DoDmerb has over support dogs.

My RA this semester had suggested I look into getting one after a discussion of some stress I was having with the academic side of things (STEM majors are harder than they look and online classes don't help). The problem is the housing department at my university could potentially ask for some kind of diagnosis by a counselor/therapist/physician in order to approve the support dog. I am also aware that any diagnosis while being a contracted cadet needs to be reported to DoDmerb. This is concerning as I don't need any threats to my 4-year scholarship because of a small diagnosis for something that I predict will relieve some stress (I don't need to get stressed over something that's intended to relieve stress).

My questions are, "How does DoDmerb look at these type of situations," and "Is my scholarship in jeopardy because of it?"

Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

I just cannot walk by this post although I want to do so.

Your stress dog will not deploy with you as you lead America's finest in close combat with a determined enemy. It will not happen.

Get a diagnosis and then report it as required...and take care of first things first...in this case your mental health.
 
I just cannot walk by this post although I want to do so.

Your stress dog will not deploy with you as you lead America's finest in close combat with a determined enemy. It will not happen.

Get a diagnosis and then report it as required...and take care of first things first...in this case your mental health.
I agree and OP's comment, "This is concerning as I don't need any threats to my 4-year scholarship because of a small diagnosis for something that I predict will relieve some stress (I don't need to get stressed over something that's intended to relieve stress)." is quite concerning.

"I have a psych issue that requires a support animal but I don't want it to affect my free college." Really? Who says that in public?

No. I have three reasons you should not have school paid for by me and other taxpayers.

1- I did 26 years in the World's Greatest Navy/Marine Corps/Military team.
2- I walk with a limp and have holes in my body due to the above said service.
3- My son is a currently serving Marine officer who will destroy you if you show up under his command with that cry baby attitude. He does not need the stress even though he would enjoy the experience. He's such a bad dude he now scares me. He does not though scare his mom. She still scares me.

I'm all about service animals but you ain't even done a day of service. Seeeee yaa
 
I agree and OP's comment, "This is concerning as I don't need any threats to my 4-year scholarship because of a small diagnosis for something that I predict will relieve some stress (I don't need to get stressed over something that's intended to relieve stress)." is quite concerning.

"I have a psych issue that requires a support animal but I don't want it to affect my free college." Really? Who says that in public?

No. I have three reasons you should not have school paid for by me and other taxpayers.

1- I did 26 years in the World's Greatest Navy/Marine Corps/Military team.
2- I walk with a limp and have holes in my body due to the above said service.
3- My son is a currently serving Marine officer who will destroy you if you show up under his command with that cry baby attitude. He does not need the stress even though he would enjoy the experience. He's such a bad dude he now scares me. He does not though scare his mom. She still scares me.

I'm all about service animals but you ain't even done a day of service. Seeeee yaa
Devil Doc Is that you up there? You're on such a high horse it's difficult to see you. Indeed, if you've added value to the conversation, it didn't survive atmospheric reentry.

In all seriousness, a service dog can be legitimately needed. I see no harm in exploring one's options, and seeking out advice from a supportive, military-minded community. OP is researching and gathering facts, and it is perfectly valid to wonder what the impact will be on their scholarship. If they remain eligible for a scholarship, more power to them. The U.S. military has decided they're still worth the tax dollars. If a service dog will make them ineligible, clearly OP is willing to find other ways to cope with stress.

In addition, your three points don't exactly qualify you to decide who should get what taxpayer money. You don't know a lick about OP, other than what's contained in the post. It seems to me this forum is a place for help and advice, not belittling and grandstanding.
 
I just cannot walk by this post although I want to do so.

Your stress dog will not deploy with you as you lead America's finest in close combat with a determined enemy. It will not happen.

Get a diagnosis and then report it as required...and take care of first things first...in this case your mental health.
Thank you for your response. I feel as if my post has been cause for a misinterpretation of my thoughts. Understandable, as it is simply text one's reading. For clarification, I am not in such a miserable mental health crisis to be a cause for concern, rather, the idea was provided in the context of experimentation, not necessity.

I agree and OP's comment, "This is concerning as I don't need any threats to my 4-year scholarship because of a small diagnosis for something that I predict will relieve some stress (I don't need to get stressed over something that's intended to relieve stress)." is quite concerning.

"I have a psych issue that requires a support animal but I don't want it to affect my free college." Really? Who says that in public?

No. I have three reasons you should not have school paid for by me and other taxpayers.

1- I did 26 years in the World's Greatest Navy/Marine Corps/Military team.
2- I walk with a limp and have holes in my body due to the above said service.
3- My son is a currently serving Marine officer who will destroy you if you show up under his command with that cry baby attitude. He does not need the stress even though he would enjoy the experience. He's such a bad dude he now scares me. He does not though scare his mom. She still scares me.

I'm all about service animals but you ain't even done a day of service. Seeeee yaa
As stated above, I do not require the assistance of a support animal, rather, I was "throwing the idea out there." Clearly, the general gist of responses indicate a strong presence of dissent for the idea of a support animal. That is totally understandable, and I appreciate you all responding to the message, especially taking time out of your busy life on a holiday weekend Mr. Mullen @MullenLE .

What I cannot understand, is the lack of professionalism and greater thought put into your particular response, @Devil Doc . I mean no quarrel with you, however, I think it's appropriate to at least respond to your thoughts.

1) I pay taxes too. A family friend of ours who is a retired police officer was once apprehended by a woman demanding to know why he and his fellow officers were "standing around" waiting to order some lunch, when there's "crime happening on our streets all the time," particularly noting that "I pay taxes and therefore your wage!" Our family-friend officer's response: "Well then can I get a raise?" Point being, it's a bit ridiculous thinking that I'm somehow undeserving of money that was taken from you out of my control. "Maybe we should start voting in candidates that support funding to social programs instead of the military so you don't have to worry about some 18-year old stealing your tax money for college." (<---- that was a joke obviously)

2) Your service is undeniable, and we can all appreciate the sacrifices you've made physically and mentally. However, that doesn't give you the excuse to belittle my thought process and subtly threaten me with your son's position as a Marine officer because of my supposed "crybaby attitude." I can respect both you and your son's dedication to service. I can't respect someone who devalues another's dedication to serve, simply because his thought process didn't match theirs. I posted the question/thread to learn about administrative processes, not hear about how much I'm a ***** for bringing up the thought of my mental health.


With that all being said, I hope we can move on without quarrel and enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend with our families.
 
@theotherone hello there new person. Educating me on service dogs or war wounds or whatever else you are spewing is useless.

High Horse? I could run a horse up the back side of a bunch of dirt bags like you.

"In addition, your three points don't exactly qualify you to decide who should get what taxpayer money. You don't know a lick about OP, other than what's contained in the post. It seems to me this forum is a place for help and advice, not belittling and grandstanding."

Really? Snot snizillle? Three points? OK. I don't belittle anybody. Truth consulting though is my thing.
 
Thank you for your response. I feel as if my post has been cause for a misinterpretation of my thoughts. Understandable, as it is simply text one's reading. For clarification, I am not in such a miserable mental health crisis to be a cause for concern, rather, the idea was provided in the context of experimentation, not necessity.


As stated above, I do not require the assistance of a support animal, rather, I was "throwing the idea out there." Clearly, the general gist of responses indicate a strong presence of dissent for the idea of a support animal. That is totally understandable, and I appreciate you all responding to the message, especially taking time out of your busy life on a holiday weekend Mr. Mullen @MullenLE .

What I cannot understand, is the lack of professionalism and greater thought put into your particular response, @Devil Doc . I mean no quarrel with you, however, I think it's appropriate to at least respond to your thoughts.

1) I pay taxes too. A family friend of ours who is a retired police officer was once apprehended by a woman demanding to know why he and his fellow officers were "standing around" waiting to order some lunch, when there's "crime happening on our streets all the time," particularly noting that "I pay taxes and therefore your wage!" Our family-friend officer's response: "Well then can I get a raise?" Point being, it's a bit ridiculous thinking that I'm somehow undeserving of money that was taken from you out of my control. "Maybe we should start voting in candidates that support funding to social programs instead of the military so you don't have to worry about some 18-year old stealing your tax money for college." (<---- that was a joke obviously)

2) Your service is undeniable, and we can all appreciate the sacrifices you've made physically and mentally. However, that doesn't give you the excuse to belittle my thought process and subtly threaten me with your son's position as a Marine officer because of my supposed "crybaby attitude." I can respect both you and your son's dedication to service. I can't respect someone who devalues another's dedication to serve, simply because his thought process didn't match theirs. I posted the question/thread to learn about administrative processes, not hear about how much I'm a ***** for bringing up the thought of my mental health.


With that all being said, I hope we can move on without quarrel and enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend with our families.
ummm, no. Move along. If you need a dog, bye bye.
 
Devil Doc Is that you up there? You're on such a high horse it's difficult to see you. Indeed, if you've added value to the conversation, it didn't survive atmospheric reentry.

In all seriousness, a service dog can be legitimately needed. I see no harm in exploring one's options, and seeking out advice from a supportive, military-minded community. OP is researching and gathering facts, and it is perfectly valid to wonder what the impact will be on their scholarship. If they remain eligible for a scholarship, more power to them. The U.S. military has decided they're still worth the tax dollars. If a service dog will make them ineligible, clearly OP is willing to find other ways to cope with stress.

In addition, your three points don't exactly qualify you to decide who should get what taxpayer money. You don't know a lick about OP, other than what's contained in the post. It seems to me this forum is a place for help and advice, not belittling and grandstanding.
High Horse? I am not questioning the need for a service dog - BUT - @Devil Doc is one of the people on this forum that has walked that walk. Question what you want -reality is what @Devil Doc posted.
 
@JBfortunecookie1 - I have been in your corner since day 1. I have LOVED following all of your posts and your struggles. You are 18/19 - there are things that need to be debated and discussed on a public forum - this is not one of them. Go watch the Egg bowl.....or PM me..
 
First of all, Devil Doc was often responsible for the physical and MENTAL health of hundreds of people for extended periods of high stress. Ignoring what he is saying because you don't like how he says it is not a good thing.

Let me phrase it a little differently. Serving as a military officer is not always easy and can be stressful at times for just about everyone. Many military officers serve in branches/situations where high stress is a constant companion. People who do these jobs need to deal with the stress adequately or they can often put themselves and others in danger. Service animals and other forms of outside assistance are not going to be there downrange, it is just you and hopefully some peers during downtime but you need to deal with it until then.

In addition to my prior military career, I teach at a STEM oriented university and have lots of students who are working through this difficult semester and yes, some are stressed out.

But if you want to see some stress, think about:

The 20-something high school graduate who is personally responsible for the health of over a dozen young people who are physically stressed to the max while people are trying to kill them.

The pilot who is trying to land his plane on a moving aircraft carrier at night.

The officer who leads the troops who maintain and arm the aircraft and have to do it all exactly right for the aircraft to successfully return

I could go on and on but my point is that being a military officer is stressful and it's far above the stress of grades that you're feeling right now.

I get that you're trying to find out DoDMERB's rules about emotional support animals, what I (and I think DevilDoc) are saying is that if they are allowed, it might not be a good thing.
 
First of all, Devil Doc was often responsible for the physical and MENTAL health of hundreds of people for extended periods of high stress. Ignoring what he is saying because you don't like how he says it is not a good thing.

Let me phrase it a little differently. Serving as a military officer is not always easy and can be stressful at times for just about everyone. Many military officers serve in branches/situations where high stress is a constant companion. People who do these jobs need to deal with the stress adequately or they can often put themselves and others in danger. Service animals and other forms of outside assistance are not going to be there downrange, it is just you and hopefully some peers during downtime but you need to deal with it until then.

In addition to my prior military career, I teach at a STEM oriented university and have lots of students who are working through this difficult semester and yes, some are stressed out.

But if you want to see some stress, think about:

The 20-something high school graduate who is personally responsible for the health of over a dozen young people who are physically stressed to the max while people are trying to kill them.

The pilot who is trying to land his plane on a moving aircraft carrier at night.

The officer who leads the troops who maintain and arm the aircraft and have to do it all exactly right for the aircraft to successfully return

I could go on and on but my point is that being a military officer is stressful and it's far above the stress of grades that you're feeling right now.

I get that you're trying to find out DoDMERB's rules about emotional support animals, what I (and I think DevilDoc) are saying is that if they are allowed, it might not be a good thing.
Thank you for your response. If the clarification stands true, like I said, it's understandable, and I've even thought of some other ideas.

Unwarranted rudeness and disrespect on a public forum (that isn't Reddit) is uncalled for however. My problem stems from the hypocriticalness of the point made. One can't use my age/inexperience to devalue the thought process behind my initial idea, and then go on to present oneself in a manner that's exponentially more immature than I have and expect it to be okay.

Hopefully the thread chills out from here on out.
 
@JBfortunecookie1 - I tried to help you on this one (You disregarded my advice in the PM to you). Let me go ahead and put you in your place - YES - we can use your age and inexperience against you - because that is what we have - AGE, EXPERIENCE, 20+ YEARS DEPLOYED, ALL THE **** YOU ARE READING ABOUT IN YOUR MS1 class. Mr. Mullen can advise you on your service dog - I have never had one and the people I know that have/had - were much needed - things that you have no idea about sitting in your dorm room!

I don't know @Devil Doc - he and I will hopefully have a beer one day - but disrespecting him on this forum is one thing I won't stand for.
 
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