Hi friends and family,

We are so excited to share that Riley has officially been approved to receive a service dog through 4 Paws Riley is a joyful, loving little girl with autism spectrum disorder who faces challenges with safety awareness, communication, emotional regulation, transitions, and sensory overwhelm. She also struggles with sleep apnea, which adds another layer of concern for our family — especially at night when restful, safe sleep is so important for her health and development.

A service dog would provide Riley with so much more than companionship. These highly trained dogs can help children with autism by increasing safety, providing grounding during overwhelming moments, supporting emotional regulation, helping with transitions and public outings, and creating a calming presence during difficult situations. For Riley specifically, a service dog may also help alert us to changes related to her sleep and provide comfort and support during nighttime challenges connected to her sleep apnea.

For our family, this service dog represents more independence for Riley, greater confidence in everyday life, and an added sense of safety and support both during the day and at night.

While we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity, the cost of raising, training, and placing a service dog is significant. Our fundraising goal of $23,000 will help cover Riley’s service dog placement, specialized training, and ongoing support through the program.

If you feel led to support Riley’s journey, we would be deeply thankful for any donation, share, or prayer. Every contribution — no matter the size — helps bring Riley one step closer to the life-changing support of her future service dog.

Thank you for loving and supporting our family during this journey.

— Alli, Dan & Riley

Training a service dog to meet our child’s requirements can be very costly. On average it costs between $40,000-60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog at 4 Paws for Ability. While 4 Paws for Ability fundraises to help cover a significant portion of this cost, families are tasked with raising $20,000 of that amount or $23,000 if receiving a poodle, doodle or papillon. We hope that we can receive assistance from our beloved family and friends to help make our service dog dream a reality.