GREENFIELD — Tye Ouellette-Tolles adopted their emotional support hedgehog Anakin roughly four months ago. Although the prickly pal provides companionship, there are still gaps between Ouellete-Tolles’ support needs and what the hedgehog can provide.

Ouellette-Tolles has autism, and struggles with executive functioning and sensory overload. They are currently raising money for a service dog from Diggity Dogs that can assist them with tasks critical to their daily life, such as getting medication in case Ouellette-Tolles faints; providing them with deep pressure therapy – in which a service dog lies on the person it is supporting to help them with emotional regulation – and supporting them leaving a situation that could cause them to panic.

“I have a lot of anxiety, and a lot goes into maintaining a balance in my life,” Ouellette-Tolles explained. “[Anakin] is not a task animal. He is essentially just a warm critter that can keep me [calm]. I love that, but it’s not what I need.”

Ouellette-Tolles is a practical nurse and EMT, and shared that they have struggled with employment because of their disability. Unlike a hedgehog, a service dog will be able to go with them to work to provide them with support throughout their day.

“I’m good in the moment; I’m good in emergencies. But then when it [comes to] sitting back, [unstructured time], then I can get distracted, then I can have emotions,” Ouellette-Tolles said, adding that despite these challenges, nursing is important to them because of their caring nature. “My goal in life is to take care of people.”

Besides differences in what a hedgehog and dog can be trained to do, there is a large difference in cost. In total, the service dog will cost them $21,500. Ouellete-Tolles has already raised $13,500, and is hoping to raise the rest of the money through a GoFundMe page.

Oullette-Tolles’ GoFundMe page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/A-service-dog-for-tye.