Forward Together:
A Zine for Allies of Service Dog Handlers
About This Zine
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Forward Together is a guide for friends who want to move alongside service dog handlers with care, clarity, and courage.
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Born from lived experience and shaped by many conversations, this zine invites reflection on how we respond to access barriers, and how we show up for one another when the world gets hard.
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It’s part practical, part emotional, and fully rooted in relationship.
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This work holds reverence for access, dignity, and interdependence.
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You’re welcome to read, share, adapt, and grow with it.
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Let’s keep moving forward, together.
Gift Economy.
This zine is offered in the spirit of a gift economy. You're invited to download it freely, whether or not you choose to give financially.
If you do feel moved to contribute, consider your own capacity, the care that went into this work, and the kind of world you want to help create.
The intention is not to price or sell access, but to trust that when needs are honored and generosity flows, we all move closer to collective liberation. Give what feels right—for you, for now.
To donate, text STILBLUM to 707070 or visit https://www.pledge.to/donate-to-assistance-dogs-of-the-west-and-help-me-fund-my-successor-service-dogAll gifts are tax-deductible and go directly to Assistance Dogs of the West via Pledge. A donation receipt will be emailed to you.
Gifts for this zine help fund a deeply personal and urgent need: helping me raise $10,000 USD for the successor to my service dog, who is now retiring after 8 years of loyal partnership.
You may spot her in the zine’s access denial scene, doing her job with quiet steadiness.
This transition is emotional and expensive. Your support helps make it possible for me to continue navigating the world safely and with dignity.
Where your gifts go
FAQs
Usage & Sharing
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Yes! Please share it freely—with friends, family, educators, businesses, or access coordinators. Just keep the original attribution and don’t modify the content without permission.
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Absolutely. You're welcome to print and distribute it in educational or community settings.
I have provided a PDF for easy printing on 8.5 × 11” paper on the site.
FAQs
Accessibility
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The full English text of the zine is available here for ease of translation.
Additionally, my web hosting supports automatic Spanish translation (I make no promises to quality).
You’re welcome to translate it to other languages yourself.
If you create a translation and would like it to be hosted on this site for others to access, feel free to reach out via Instagram @stilblum_ceramics or through the contact form at the bottom of this page!
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The plain text on this page is designed to support screen readers. I’m extremely limited by my web hosting by the length of alt text I can include on images, so I provided longer text boxes with more descriptive text to give textually inclined people as full an experience as possible.
If you need another format that isn’t included in the free download (e.g., large print PDF), contact me.
I’d love to work together to make this more accessible.
FAQs
Gift Economy & Contributions
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It means you're invited to contribute what feels right—whether that's money, time, or simply paying the gift forward. No one is turned away for not contributing.
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That’s up to you. Some consider the time, care, and experience behind the work. Others give based on what they’re able to offer. If money isn’t accessible, your sharing, feedback, or support in other forms is just as valued.
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Totally fair question. Yes, I do need funds for my successor service dog. But I don’t need your money. What I need most is for you to engage with this offering in a way that honors both of us.
That’s actually why I chose a gift economy model in the first place: not to make people guess what number I secretly want, but to invite reflection on what it means to give, receive, and stay rooted in consent and care. This is a practice space.
I’ll be okay no matter what you give, or don’t.
And I’m really glad you’re here.
FAQs
Future Projects & Collaboration
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That’s the hope! Your encouragement, contributions, and ideas help make that possible. If there’s something you’d like to see next, let me know.
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Possibly! Reach out through the contact form or on Instagram @stilblum_ceramics to start a conversation.
ZINE DOWNLOAD
Digital Download - zip file
This zine is offered in the spirit of a gift economy: you're welcome to contribute what feels right for you. Proceeds go toward funding my successor service dog, as my current dog retires after 8 years of loyal partnership (and makes a cameo in the zine!).
Click here to make an optional gift, with my gratitude.
This zine is a fully hand-lettered, hand-illustrated invitation into deeper friendship, mutual care, and collective access. It’s made for those who move alongside someone with a service dog and want to show up with clarity, courage, and heart.
Inside, you’ll find support for:
Gaining awareness of public access protections for service dog teams under the ADA
Planning ahead with your friend for hard moments
Navigating access denials with care and solidarity
Tending the emotional aftermath
Growing your own practice of allyship
Your download includes:
A printable 8.5"x11" foldable PDF version (ideal for zine-style printing)
A set of high-resolution PNG images for digital viewing, sharing, or accessibility use:
One set is black-on-white background (best for printing)
One set is white-on-black (for “dark mode” or visual access preferences)
A PDF file with detailed alt text, formatted for screen readers
Thank you for being here, and for moving forward with us—together.
Ready to grab the zine? Click below to download it.
Page 1 – Cover
Silhouettes of three people and a service dog move across the top third of the page from left to right. A young child with a ponytail rides a tricycle scooter, following a broad-shouldered adult in a hoodie with cropped hair. Ahead of them walks a heavier-set adult person using forearm crutches. Leading the way is a golden retriever tugging at the page’s corner, playfully flipping it to the next. The figures are drawn as silhouettes on a solid background, creating a warm, universal tone. The hand-lettered title reads, “Forward Together – A Zine for Friends of Service Dog Handlers.” In small text at the bottom of the page a disclaimer reads: “Free to copy, print, and share for non-commercial use. Original art by SB @stilblum_ceramics. Version 1.0”
Page 2 – What This Is
Three black-and-white speech and thought bubbles float against a plain white background, each hand-lettered in distinct styles. The top bubble is jagged and reads, “She seemed so upset… I hope she’s okay…” Below it, a smoother speech bubble says, “How can I support you right now?” The bottom thought bubble reads, “I wonder if there’s anything I could have done to help.” The page header says “What This Is,” followed by: “An invitation to act with care and clarity. Not a legal manual. Not a call to fix.” The imperfect linework and hand lettering emphasize approachability and nuance.
Page 3 – Know the Ground
A hand-drawn grocery store interior stretches across the page, with shelves stocked with familiar items like bottles, loaves of bread, and chips. At the center, a person in a power wheelchair with a ponytail leans forward as a German shepherd-type service dog offers them a bag of chips in its mouth, balancing on its hind legs with forepaws on the handler’s knees. The header reads: “Under the ADA, service dog teams can legally enter most public spaces—grocery stores, buses, cafés, clinics, and more.” The ADA’s universal access symbol appears near the title. Clean black-and-white linework keeps the scene inviting and clear.
Page 4 – Planning With Your Friend
Floating handwritten questions, each in a different style and angle, form a circular rhythm on a blank page. The questions read:
– “If someone tries to deny you access, how would you like me to respond?”
– “Are there situations where you’d prefer I speak up?”
– “Would a signal help us communicate in the moment?”
– “Want to practice some scenarios together?”
No people are depicted—only text—evoking a thoughtful, collaborative planning space. The looseness of the lettering underscores the emotional openness and room for dialogue.
Scattered throughout the page are silhouetted leaves, as though blown by a gentle breeze. Four of the leaves contain handwritten words: trust, choice, care, and support—quiet reminders of the values that guide this kind of planning and friendship.
Page 5 – If Access Is Denied
Outside a small bakery called “Chez Malchance,” three silhouetted figures stand in a tense exchange. The bakery features a window with pastries and a ramped door that bears an “OPEN” sign and another that reads “NO PETS ALLOWED.” A tall staff member says, “I don’t care if it’s a ‘service dog’. I’m not letting you in.” A person in a wheelchair with long hair over one shoulder at the center says, “Let’s just go home,” while a small poodle-type service dog stands quietly at their side. To their left, another person stands with their hands on their hips in a protective stance. Above the scene, hand-lettered steps read: “Pause. Listen. Speak calmly if invited. Support needs—not just rights. Let dignity lead. Walk away if needed.”
Page 6 – Emotional Aftermath
Two figures sit on a couch, each holding a warm mug. The person on the left is curled up, their legs tucked beneath them. The person on the right sits with one foot on the floor and one leg bent under them, gazing softly downward. A Rottweiler- or shepherd-type service dog lies at their feet, looking up attentively.
A speech bubble from the left figure reads, “How can I support you right now?” The cozy room—with its hand-drawn mugs and relaxed postures—emphasizes quiet care and presence after a hard moment.
The text reads, “Access denials can leave everyone hurting, especially the service dog handler who experienced public discrimination. After denial, your friend may need space, validation, laughter, or something else.”
Page 7 – Allyship in Practice
A hand-drawn journal lies open with a nighttime photo of a mountain range taped inside and a eucalyptus sprig tucked beside it. Behind the journal stands a person with textured, curly long hair wearing a dress. Their right leg is a prosthetic, and their left leg is not. They stand before a tall mirror, their reflection gazing steadily back at them. The mirror scene is intimate and grounded, inviting personal reflection. The page header reads: “What freezes you? What grounds you? Allyship grows through reflection, humility, and showing up again.”
Page 8 – Moving Forward, Together
Alt Text:
Curved lines of wind swirl from the bottom right to the top left, carrying leaves that each bear a word in hand-lettered font: “trust,” “care,” “choice,” and “support.” The lines feel dynamic but soft—like movement with intention. No figures appear; instead, the page is full of air and space. The words and motion evoke momentum toward justice and relationship. The header reads: “Access is a right. Supporting it is love. Keep moving alongside us. Your friendship changes everything.”
