ChristmasTown

Another first for the Burke family: this week we ventured out to the Creation Museum's ChristmasTown. Of course we left later than we wanted to and when we arrived, the parking lot was full. We were directed to a church about a mile away from the museum to take the "shuttle bus" (school bus) over to the museum. It was a balmy 24 degrees outside. Not sure if this was Pumpkin's first ride on a school bus, but it was William's & Ashley's first ride. Funny, I don't remember the aisle's being so narrow when I rode the school bus!

When we got off the bus, one of the security guards greeted us: "We just wanted to let you know that we have canine patrols on duty tonight. We've already alerted them that you are with a service dog & will try to stay clear of you. If there's anything you need, please let us know." Couldn't have asked for a better reception.

William was tethered to Pumpkin along with holding the "short leash". No meltdowns. No escape artist tricks. We had a great time walking through the outdoor gardens set-up to look like Biblical times. Then there were the lights. Fabulous! We had an awesome, stress-free time.

Ok, we'll admit that we're still getting used to having Pumpkin with us everywhere William goes. And it does take a few extra minutes getting ready to go places. But the extra set of eyes, and the security she provides it worth everything.

Forever begins!

Sometimes you wonder what your kids are thinking. Then there are those times they left you know. This was one of those times Ashley let us know.

The last day of training at 4 Paws is full of activity. First, there is meeting the trainers at the mall for the Public Access Test. The test consists of three parts. You walk with your dog around the mall for about 20+ minutes. One of the trainers follows behind you to observe. Is your dog behaving? (Are you behaving? I think that's the real rest!) Do you have your dog under control? What do you do as a team when someone wants to pet your dog? When an unexpected sudden noise happens? A stroller or in our case a LOUD, squeaky cleaning cart goes by? People drop food as they pass by? You get the picture. Typical crowd in a mall at Christmas time. One of the things you must do is to be walking and drop the dog's leash. Will they take off or stay with you? Then you place your dog in a down position and people step over your dog, walk nearby, talk with you, etc. Will you dog stay in "command"?

The second part of the test was to sit in the food court area for another 20 minutes. The dog needs to stay in a "down" or be under the table. It's amazing with all kinds of food smells that the dog are so obedient. We were so proud of Pumpkin. A gentleman came up to us and offered to let Pumpkin "lick" his plate while another person offered to buy Pumpkin an ice cream cone. There are all kinds of different people out there.

Finally, you take your dog to your vehicle and the trainers observe you both in the parking lot and loading up in your vehicle. Pumpkin was on her best behavior despite me being nervous. And yes, we passed the Public Access Test. Pumpkin was the veteran while I was the newbie.

After that, you return to 4 Paws and sign all the paper work. That was exciting! When we finished signing, Ashley said to me: "Is Pumpkin adopted just like us?" "Yes!" "Yippee, that means she is part of our forever family and going home with us!"

And so forever begins!

Christmas Photo

This is it! The official Christmas photo taken at the foster/adoptive parents Christmas party given by the Bethel United Methodist Church. William gave Santa a hug for everyday of the year. What a patient Santa! Santa even sat on the floor with William and Pumpkin. It was great to watch all the kids gather 'round Pumpkin, William, and Santa. Pumpkin got lots of hugs during the party, too.

It's amazing the difference Pumpkin has already made in our lives. The stress level is much less since there are an extra set of eyes and paws watching William. And, William does keep track of his girl. One of the many benefits of having a service dog with you is that people will stop and talk with you (Ok, now it takes twice as long to do anything when we go out!) giving William the opportunity to socialize more. Pumpkin is a wonderful ambassador for all service dogs since she is so gentle and kind to everyone especially little kids. We do have to tell people that she loves to give kisses. William truly now has a bff. Thank you 4 Paws!

We're Official!

We officially passed our "Public Access Test" on Friday morning. It was as though she knew I was a tad nervous about the test and was on her best 'command obeying' behavior. Pumpkin had to sit, heel, down, come, weave in and out of clothing racks, allow strangers to come & pet her, people stepping over her, not be rattled by carts, strollers, yells of kids, or distracted by various odors. That was just a few of the things Pumpkin had to deal with during the test. At one point while we were "heeling", I had to drop her leash to make sure she would stay with me and not run off. Another time I had to put her in a down, walk away, and call her to come to me. We had to go in and out doors, walk through the parking lot, and load up in the van. Then we had to sit in the food court for at least 20 minutes while she remained in a down position. Pumpkin took it in stride, feel asleep, and entertained everyone around us with her snoring. She is awesome!

After the test, we returned to 4 Paws for Ability to sign the "adoption" papers. We are family!
Legally, we are a 3 unit team: service dog, William, & adult handler. Ashley enjoys walking with us, too!

The extra set of eyes, the super sensitive nose, and her 4 paws are just what we needed to help keep William safe. We are officially official!

Day 8 of Training

Today we practiced searching and tracking for William both outdoors (temperature in the teens) and at the mall. Pumpkin was fantastic. Ed and I are learning to “read” her as she tracks for William. It is truly amazing to watch her work. Pumpkin loves tracking. She gets so excited when we connect the tracking leash to her service harness. Once that happens, in her mind, the game’s afoot!

Ed did get to practice a “real” track at the park this morning. Usually an adult goes out with William. Then Pumpkin “tracks” with a trainer, Ed, or I handling her lead. While at the park, William took off. Ed was pretty sure he went to the playground. Jeremy, who is 4 Paws Director of Training, said: “Let Pumpkin track him.” And off they went. Pumpkin was right on in all 4 of her tracks today.

At the mall we also practiced “tethering”. Instead of keeping a tight grip on William’s hand, he is tethered to Pumpkin and also has a child’s lead (short lead) he can hold. William was resistant to the tether at first. But, when we were leaving the mall, he insisted on having the tether and his own lead. How reassuring to us that Pumpkin is on the job taking care of “her boy” in many ways! And I will admit our stress level is going down.

Ashley constantly reminds us that Pumpkin goes with us everywhere. After 8 very full days of training, the family needs a little down time.

Miracle Upon Miracle

Some say God doesn't perform miracles any more. We're proof that He does!

Wish I could relate everything that has been to us since Pumpkin has become part of our family. William loves her giving her plenty of hugs & kisses (Ashley does, too!). Pumpkin reciprocates. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, they're right! The kids told us the other day that we can no longer go out without Pumpkin being with us. We've been to several restaurants, the store, the mall, all over our hotel, plus various parks practicing searching and tracking.

It's amazing how many people come up to us when Pumpkin is with us. Some are polite & ask to pet her, others just assume they can. But Pumpkin takes it all in stride.

We can't say enough for all the trainers and staff at 4 Paws. Not only do they train the service dogs extremely well, but are very patient with us as well tray to master service dog commands and tracking.

Then there are the kids. There are 12 families in our class. Each family has at least one person with a special need. Kids are playing all around us providing distraction training not only for the service dogs but for us as handlers being able to focus on the task at hand.

This has been an amazing journey for our family as we've experience miracle upon miracle.

Bonding!

Anyone who doubts miracles need to witness the bonding that is taking place between Pumpkin and William. Last night William slept through the night - a total miracle since he is usually up 3-4 times each night.

Today Pumpkin "tracked" William for the 1st time. It was AWESOME watching her search for her boy. Pumpkin is already attentive to William as well as Ashley. Her ears perk up when she hears either one of them. This is truly a match made in heaven.

A Service Dog for William = Priceless

No more counting down the days or even the hours! Pumpkin is here. She's beautiful & 4 Paws terrific.

All the dogs are bought out 1 by 1 and introduced to their adopted pawtner. William was first! As soon as he heard Pumpkin's name he yelled: "Yippie, me, Me, ME!"

My heart is overwhelmed and grateful to the many people who have made this miracle possible. To the 4 Paws trainers and staff, you have already made a different in one boy's life. Thank you!

Santa's Little Yelpers!

We would appreciate everyone's prayer while we're at training. Families are traveling from all over the country, including Canada. All have a very special someone who may have difficulties with change. Please pray for safety, for bonding between the service dogs & their pawtners, unity among the class, & for whatever else you feel led to. Here's the class roster:

Flutter (Bloodhound Retriever) Pawtner: Sean [Autism Assistance Dog]

Champ (Golden Retriever) Pawtner: Tucker [Autism Assistance Dog]

Beuford (Hound Retriever) Pawtner: Riley [Autism Assistance Dog]

Sushi (Golden Retriever) Pawtner: Drake [Autism Assistance Dog]

Pumpkin (Labrador Retriever) Pawtner: William [Multi-purpose Assistance Dog]

Flash (Bloodhound Retriever) Pawtner: Matthew [Autism Assistance Dog]

Jack (Labrador Retriever Mix) Pawtners: Owen & Annabelle [Multi-purpose Assistance Dog]

Mercy (Golden Retriever) Pawtner: Chris [Autism Assistance Dog]

Dublin (Labrador Retriever) Pawtner: Jacey [Autism Assistance Dog]

Kiwi (Labrador Retriever) Pawtner: Noel [Autism Assistance Dog]

Nokia (Labrador Retriever) Pawtner: Griffin [Autism Assistance Dog]

Zoom (Bloodhound Retriever) Pawtner: Alexander [Autism Assistance Dog]

Dear William

Hello!

My name is Pumpkin nut not like the Great Pumpkin or anything like that! I am a member of the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream litter and there is one flavor called Pumpkin. My sister Kiwi and my brother Dublin are also in this class. How cool is that? I like to play ball, do you? Do you really live in Cincinnati? Does that mean we can visit 4 Paws? That is awesome! I will miss everyone here but I have been dreaming of you for a whole year. My own boy to play ball and Frisbee with! My birthday is 11-1-2010 [born 11-1-2009]and I am a Labrador Retriever. I can't wait for you to come here. I will be counting down the days!

xoxo Pumpkin

(PS. I hope you do not mind if I am a girl)

Begging Songs

A fun tradition with families who are in the next class with 4 Paws for Ability is to "beg" for their matches. The matches don't come any sooner, but it is fun. Here's are try at begging:

Begging, begging time is here
Time for matches should be near
We've been good, but we can't last
...Hurry matches, hurry fast.
Want a dog to search and track
Need to know which [dog] brush to pack
We can hardly stand the wait
Please matches, don't be late.

(See if you can tell what Christmas song the words go with....)

20 days and counting down....

26 and Counting Down

Today we started making sure the winter clothes are ready to go especially since we are outside practicing searching and tracking for William. Last week he escaped from the public library out the back door. This week when Ed took the kids for their weekly visit, the librarian told him they turned the alarm on for that door.

Instead of months we're now down to weeks and days. We follow the blogs and updates of several families who already have their service dogs home. What a difference the dogs have made in the lives of their human friends.

We are so looking forward to having an extra set of eyes watching William when we are out and about as well as a super sensitive nose to track him down. 26 days and counting down!

Do You Think Outside the Box?

Do you think outside the box? Can you take an ordinary, everyday object and turn it into somthing special? William does. An ordinary plastic laundry basket become a sled to ride down the stairs (Don't try this at home - it didn't work too well!), a garage for his cars, a helmet for sword fighting, a place to scrunch up in and hide, the top of a ramp for his cars, a place to hide the cat (Again, don't try this at home. Tigger did not like this!) and a dozen other things.

Creativity is one of William's strong suit. He makes the ordinary extraordinary. I pray he will never loose this gift and that we will encourage him to use it.

Oh, and 1 more thing a laundry basket is good for: turn it over and step on it to give someone a bear hug and kiss! That's our William - he does think outside the box!

A Visit from Dobby

Dobby is a 4 Paws puppy in service dog training. His foster family brought him to the Harvest Celebration Sunday afternoon. A boy and a dog are just meant to be!

Fundraising commitment completed.

Hotel reservations made.

We're counting down the days and preparing for our newest addition to the family. We look at the service dogs in training and wondering just who it will be.

Yoda and the girls, need to do their matching magic!

Thanks, Diane for bringing Dobby by. I think William is enjoying himself!

Santa's Little Yelpers!

Only 58 days until we meet William's 4 Paws best friend. Each class names themselves. Our class has chosen "Santa's Little Yelpers"! Not quite sure if that applies to the dogs or to us humans.

So much to do to get ready for this new family member. We've been reading books and watching DVD's about service dog. Plus many of the families who have received their dogs have blogged and posted You Tube videos. It's amazing.

Currently, there are 7 families in our class from various parts of the country. All of them will be traveling with a family member with special needs and spending 11 days in intensive training. We could all use your prayers.

Ok, before I can't contain myself any longer, I'll stop for now..... Thanks for reading!

The Countdown has Begun!

Something very exciting will be happening in 83 days! William will meet his furry, new, best friend. He understands this will happen around Christmas time. What an awesome gift that will be for him! (And us, too!)

Please begin praying now for a mild December since we will be out everyday practicing searching and tracking.

Some of the questions we are asking is what breed(s) of dog will William's friend be? Short or long hair? How big will the dog be? What will the dog's name be? (Just like our kids, the dog will already be named!) Will the dog like us? Will we be able to learn all the commands for the dog? Hopefully, the dog will be patient with us.

Ok, the excitement is mounting!!!!

I Want That One!

"Watching a man painting a sign to sell four puppies, a little boy asked, 'Mister, I'd like to buy one of your puppies.'

'Well, these are fine pups and cost a lot of money.'

The child dropped his head, then reached into his pocket and pulled out 'some coins. 'I have thirty five cents. Is that enough to take a look, sir?'

'Sure, sonny. You can take a look.' Then he called, 'Here Dolly!'

Down the doghouse ramp came Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face to the chain link fence, his eyes dancing with delight. Then he noticed movement again at the doghouse. Slowly, another little fur ball appeared, a noticeably smaller one. Down the ramp it slid. Awkwardly the little pup hobbled toward the others, trying his best to catch up with the others.

'I want that one,' the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

'Son, you don't want that pup. He'll never be able to run and play with you like the other ones would.'

With that the little boy reached down and rolled up one pant leg to reveal a steel brace attached to a specially-made shoe.

Looking up at the man, he said, 'You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.'

With tears in his eyes, the man lifted the pup, and holding him carefully, handed the lovable little ball of fur to the boy.

'How much?' asked the little fellow. The man smiled and answered, 'There's no charge for love.'"

Author Unknown

We all need to be wanted by someone who will give us unconditional love and understanding.

He Gets It!

We were relaxing in the rockers after eating at Cracker Barrel. A gracious lady and her mobility service dog walked past William. William jumps up and start yelling: "ME! ME! ME!"

When I told him this was the lady's service dog and not his, he initially gave me his pout face. Then starting yelling: "Ho! Ho! Ho! (meaning Christmas)." When we said: "Yes!" He started jumping up and down. He gets it!

It's tail waggin' time!

Because of an extremely generous donation from an estate (Someone we don’t even know!) plus well over 100 donations in all sorts of amounts, and several successful fundraisers, William’s 4 Paws best friend will be home in time Christmas.

We are in the December class which will train & certify from 11/30 – 12/10. Please pray for mild weather since we will be out everyday practicing tracking. For those of you who William, realize how much we are anticipating having a service dog help us out.

Now we will be working on a video which 4 Paws staff will use to help select a dog that will be trained specifically for William. (Ok, 1st we have to borrow a video camera!) To answer some of the most common questions that we’re asked:

No, we don’t pick out the dog. The 4 Paws staff will choose the dog. We can make suggestions, but ultimately it will be up to their staff.

Just like our kids, the service dog will already come with a name.

The dog will go everywhere William goes (just like “Mary had a little lamb” except the lyrics will be: “William has a service dog”). A service dog is covered under the ADA (American Disabilities Act). Basically, anywhere a wheel chair can go, a service dog may go.

The service dogs 4 Paws places are usually between 11 months – 18 months of age.

Ed or I will be the actual certified trainer. The is one of the few service dog organizations that places service dogs with kids under the age of 10 and where a 3rd party can be the certified handler.

If you want to know more info, you can always visit the 4 paws web site at: http://www.4pawsforability.org.

Now we're on a countdown until we’ll have a “new” family member and William will have a best friend to help keep him safe while helping him feel secure!

Thank you to everyone who has support us with their love, prayers, and their wallets.

Lia Sophia Fundraising Party

Please come to our Lia Sophia Fundraising Party to benefit 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. in William's honor. 15% of sales price will be donated to 4 Paws. Come and have fun while seeing the latest fashions in jewelry.

When: Friday, June 25th @ 7:00 p.m.
Where: William's House

To view an online catalog please go to: www.liasophia.com/carolburke

RSVP's appreciated (need to know how much desert to prepare!). You're welcome to bring a friend!

If you need directions, please let us know.

New fundraising total

Our new fundraising total is $6,924.15 benefiting 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. in William's honor. That puts us over the halfway mark towards our commitment of $13,000.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our journey.

Fundraiser at Riverside Coffee Mill

Saturday's fundraiser at Riverside Coffee Mill was AWESOME! And yes, we are still doing Happy Dances!

First round of applause goes to Tiffany Brigner who got this whole fundraiser starter and helped out during the entire event (including publicity).

Second round of applause goes to Jamie & Mike, owners of Riverside for their open arms of hospitality.

Thank you to our fabulous volunteers during the event: Tiffany Brigner, Linda Diller, Wendy Auchenbach, Kathleen Pompa, Brittany Robertson, Debbie Jeschke, and Tyler Rose Auchenbach.

Silent Auctions Donations came from: Mark & Denise Strimple (Wine & Chocolate Basket), Lisa Fragassi (Creative Memories), Angel Reichard (Mary Kay & greeting cards), Laura Hoevener (Adventures Around Cincinnati), Sonnie Woodruff (Maccessorized), Justin & Emily Carabello (Carabello Coffees and Journals), Bill Gore (Magellan GPS & Dream Gear i.Sound), Linda Diller (Shaklee Weekend Warrior Therapy Basket), Mark Pfister (Bob Sumerel Free Oil & Filter Change), Gina Pfister ( lillie reed jewelry), Chris Russell (Lia Sophia Jewelry), and Kathleen Pompa and Wendy Auchenbach (beaded bookmarks).

Special guests included: Dash, 4 Paws Service Dog in Training, and Madison, Therapy Dog. Both got to smell the waffles (and drool) but didn't get to taste them.

A big round of applause goes to everyone who came out and support us Saturday morning enjoying delicious waffles after the Friday night storms.

Thanks everyone for making this a successful event of raising over $1,000 for 4 Paws for Ability in William's honor!

May 22nd Fundraiser at Riverside Coffee Mill

Please join us & invite your friends May 22nd at the Riverside Coffee Mill in Batavia, OH between 9:00 a.m. & noon for a Waffle Breakfast & Silent Auction Fundraiser. The waffles are awesome & you can pick your own topping.

Some of the Silent Auction Items include: Jewelry, Creative Memories Basket, Wine Basket, Mary Kay Basket, Gourmet Coffees Basket, Healthy Home Basket, 2 free Oil Changes, Magellan Maestro GPS, i.Sound Dream Speaker System & Alarm Clock.

The fundraiser benefits 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. in honor of William.

Meeting a Service Dog in Training

Hi, it's me, William. I am so excited because on Sunday after church I meet a service dog in training. A beautiful yellow, soft, fluffy dog named Maestro. I got so many kisses from Maestro and gave so many hugs, it was neat. We got to be together for only a few minutes since we both had to go home. Some kid is really going to be lucky to get Maestro as their very own special dog.

Mom and Dad say a lot of people are helping me get my own special dog. I can't wait 'cause I love dogs. Mom and Dad can't wait either because my own dog will help keep me safe.

If you know me, you know I don't say a whole lot. But thanks to everyone who is helping.

Bye for now!

How to donate

We are celebrating that our fundraising total is $4,962 - almost halfway to our goal of $13,000.00 to unite William and his service dog. The excitement is mounting with every donation.

People are asking how they can donate. There are two primary ways to particpate:

1. Go to: http://4pawsforability.org/donation.html. Once there, you'll see a PayPal logo. Click on it to make your donation. Under "special instructions" please include: "In honor of William Burke".

2. Send a check directly to: 4 Paws for Ability, Inc.
235 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, OH 45385

In the memo line of your check, please write: "In honor of William Burke".

We are in the process of scheduling several fundraising events. Please keep checking back for details.

Thanks!

Adopting a Service dog

Our homeschooling morning started off with reading about different types of dogs that live in various parts of the word. Our 7 year old daughter asks: "So what will we call our new dog?"

"The dog will already come with a name just like you came to our family with a name."

"Does that mean we'll adopt the dog like you adopted us?"

"Yes, we'll adopt the dog into our family."

"Oh good. That means he'll be part of our forever family"

And William says: "Yes, me" while signing dog!

Sometimes kids get it quicker than we do.

New Fundraising Total

We are so grateful that our fundraising total to 4 Paws in William's honor is now up to $2,680. That puts us a tail wag closer to having William's new furry best friend come home to him.

The other day we stopped in at some friends' house. They have several dogs. William walked into the house, sat down on the floor and just played with the dogs. One of the dogs came and sat on William's lap - snuggling with him. I think dogs have a way of knowing which people or kids are dog people. William bent down and gave the dog a kiss. The dog looked at William and gave him a sloppy dog kiss. He just giggled giving the dog a big hug. William was in 7th heaven with all these dogs. William has always had a special bond with dogs.