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 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!
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.
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.
