Oberyn to the Rescue

The first time I ever saw Oberyn was in a photograph and there was a connection that I will never be able to explain. An old friend knew someone whose dog just had puppies and needed homes for them. When I met him in person it only solidified our bond and that we were meant to be together.

Oberyn isn't any fancy breed, I didn't find him at a fancy breeder or a pet shop. He's a mutt, to put it simply, but he's the little mutt that could. He once met the great Sam Waterston on the elevator at the Getty Art Museum and he remarked that Oberyn is a very cultured and well traveled dog. And it's true!

Even at only 16 pounds, Oberyn is my little hero. I'm autistic with OCD, severe social anxiety and chronic pain. Oberyn is trained to assist me in a multitude of ways. I took a risk picking a puppy of breeds I wasn't sure of, but the risk paid off. Oberyn is bright and eager to learn, even if he can be a little dramatic at times. (He is a Pisces after all) He's now 7 years old and together in that time, we've grown a lot together and gone on many adventures. I knew that Oberyn was truly the right choice for me when I was having a nightmare that led me to have an asthma attack, he was only three months old at the time and he woke me up to comfort me and so I could use my inhaler. It wasn't something we were working on training wise yet, and his instincts kicked in and he saved me. He's done it time and time again over the past few years.

Oberyn has a handful of tasks to help me, including but no limited to - reorientation, pressure therapy and alerting. He's attended concerts with me to help me be more relaxed and able to enjoy the artists I love in person. He has his very own pair of custom headphones to protect his sensitive hearing too, so he usually gets in a good nap session until he needs to assist me in any way. Our concert adventures have even led us to the middle of the ocean. Oberyn has two concert cruises under his collar, and he was a prized cruiser both times. Together Oberyn and I made many friends, including members of the bands. He attended both Parahoy one and two, earning him the nickname of Parapup. We watched the sun rise and set over the atlantic ocean, with no land in sight, in our own little world on those ships. I feel lucky to be able to have my dog with me all over the world, but he's a working dog. He works hard to help me feel safe in a world not built for me, and because of him I've ventured farther than my mind and body would let me before. He's even attended Shakespeare in the Park and sat very well, quietly enjoying each show he attended. He enjoyed anytime Hamish Linklater was on stage the best, and really enjoys the sound of his voice. Whenever we meet a new celebrity together, we get a picture of them with him (if they're okay with it!) to help spread some autism awareness via our social media accounts. Oberyn has even met his namesake, Pedro Pascal who played Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones but is also known as the Mandalorian. He's met drag royalty, broadway icons, thespians and rockstars, all while being my best furry friend. Without him, I don't think I would have made many of the memories I have of the last 7 years. He has gotten me out of the house on the hardest days, when my mind is a monster. He's my little prince who slays the dragon.