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!

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)

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!

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.

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!

So, Why a Service Dog?

We could go into a lot of details about how Down syndrome affects the growth and development of a child. But here’s how it plays out in William’s everyday life.

A lot of kids with Down syndrome don’t sleep through the night. Most of the time when William wakes up he comes to our (parents’) bed. There have been occasions when he wanders through the house. Fortunately, he hasn’t let himself outside during the night yet. We are hoping that a furry, warm friend who sleeps next to William will give him the security he needs to stay in bed the entire night. (We could use a full night’s sleep.)

William will still run out into the street or dart between cars in a parking lot. He doesn’t look before he takes off. William realizes that most kids his age walk places without their parents having a firm grip on them. Being tethered to his furry best friend would help keep William safe. If necessary, the service dog is taught to plant themselves, when their human tries to take off. A “danger stranger” will think twice before approaching a kid with a dog attached to them.

William is the ultimate escape artist. Whether it’s over the fence to explore the neighbor’s swimming pool or tree house or up the ladder that’s been left out, William is out exploring. This means it’s necessary to keep William in our sight at all times – a nearly impossible feat. William has learned to quietly disarm our door alarms to go check out a motorcycle down the street or simply go walking with the neighbors. A service dog would be trained to specifically search and track for William when he’s out and about without permission.

William doesn’t like loud noises, like thunder, fireworks, the Movie Theater or large crowds. He goes on sensory overload. William’s service dog would be by his side letting him know that’s its ok and help him refocus when he melts down.

A service dog can help break down social barriers for William. Many people don’t know who to approach or communicate with a child who has special needs, but they are willing to approach a dog. A service dog can reduce the isolation that William sometimes experiences. William will finally have a best friend.

A service dog will give William a sense of responsibility as he learns to care for the dog. It will help William think of someone else regardless of how hairy they are and how sloppy their kisses are.

So, why a Service Dog? To help keep William safe and secure and make him feel safe and secure.

William's Approved!

We are so excited! William has been approved for a multipurpose service dog from 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. William keeps signing "dog" and saying "me!"

Our work is just beginning. It costs 4 Paws $13,000 to train a service dog like the one William will get. At 4 Paws they have a unique opportuity where we can raise the funds to cover the cost of one dog as a volunteer so that William can get his dog sooner rather than the typical 3-5 years wait at other agencies.

Please join us on this journey.

Let the adventure Begin!

http://www.4pawsforability.org/