Assistance dog to increase independence for Whanganui teen Jaz Dangen-Forster
3 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
Jaz Dangen-Forster with assistance dog Kip who will enable her to have more independence. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui teenager Jaz Dangen-Forster is pleading with people to recognise assistance dogs as working animals, not pets. Jaz is in the process of acquiring Kip, a young dog currently being trained to assist with her medical conditions, and it has highlighted the issues people with assistance dogs can face.
Jaz, 17, has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder where abnormal collagen causes joints and connective tissue to become loose. She also has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), associated with EDS, which causes an abnormal heart rate.