From the "Ouachitonian": Grace Kemp
January 01, 2020
Sometimes life got too scary for Grace Kemp to handle alone. She needed someone by her side as she dealt with panic attacks. That was why she got Titan.
Learning to adapt to new circumstances was something that every freshman experienced. For Kemp, a math and secondary education double major from Anna, Texas, the circumstance was peculiar. Kemp attended each class, meal and event with her furry friend, Titan. Titan, a Psychiatric Service Dog, helped Kemp when she had panic attacks.
“He stays everywhere with me and goes everywhere with me in case I do have anxiety or a panic attack.” Kemp said, “I got Titan November of last year, so 11 months exactly.”
Being friends for 11 months was plenty of time for Kemp to realize what bothers her about Titan, just like any other friendship. For Kemp and Titan, their friendship allowed them to confront issues and hurtful memories while maintaining a normal university lifestyle.
“He sneezes on you. He will just randomly walk up to you and sneeze,” Kemp said. “He is allergic to dog hair; we had to take him to the vet because he kept sneezing. Essentially, Titan is allergic to himself. Because of this, he has to have allergy medicine every day.”
Due to their living quarters, both Kemp and Titan had to adjust to college life. Everyone reacted differently when seeing Titan around.
“Usually, people get really excited and try and run up to him, or call his name. A lot of people just ignore him because they know,” Kemp said. “Sometimes it is a little frustrating when people are whistling at the dog, or trying to call him over to them.”
The adjustment of the new living quarters could be difficult for anyone, but it’s especially true when you add a dog into the equation.
“I think sometimes my roommate can get a little frustrated with all the sweeping we have to do because he sheds constantly. Every day we have to sweep, and a pile of dog hair comes out,” Kemp said.
Because of the time Titan and Kemp spent together, they got to share a special relationship. Kemp took her relationship with Titian and her position as a student very seriously. She was open for questions to those who were curious, but also wanted to avoid being the center of attention all the time because of Titan. Even among the hardships of having a service dog, Kemp and Titan always found time to have a little fun.
“We play this really fun game where I stand on one side of the room, and I’ll throw a treat across the room, and he’ll run and go catch it. We will do that in the room, or at a park. We are trying to work up to him doing that with a ball, but unfortunately, we aren’t there yet,” Kemp said.
For both Kemp and Titan, their freshman year of college would not have been the same without having each other.
“While having a roommate and Titan living in one dorm can be thought of as a hard situation,” Kemp said, “It has been a good experience.”
To Kemp, the benefits of having her furry friend Titan proved to be a mighty defense against her anxiety attacks.
“He is a connection to my home, so it helps with some of that anxiety,” Kemp said. “Always being around him, having someone with me all the time creates a strong bond.”
By Brooke Woessner
Photo by Andy Henderson
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