Charlie is a bright, loving 4 year old boy who is nonverbal and autistic. He absolutely loves dogs, even though he often gets so excited around them that it can be hard for him to stay calm. A service dog would be so much more than a companion for Charlie, it would be an important source of safety, support, and connection.

One of our biggest concerns is Charlie’s elopement behavior, or tendency to run away. This is especially frightening because nonverbal autistic children are at a much higher risk when they go missing. A service dog could help by being trained to search for and locate Charlie, and also by allowing Charlie to be safely tethered while we are out in the community. That added layer of protection would mean so much to our family.

A service dog could also bring comfort and emotional support to Charlie in ways that fit his unique needs. He loves deep pressure, which can help him feel calm and regulated, and a service dog could provide that soothing support.

As an autistic child, Charlie also finds it hard to make friends and connect with other children. We hope a service dog could become not only his loyal companion, but also a bridge to more social interaction and new friendships. Dogs have a special way of opening doors and creating connections, and we would love for Charlie to experience that.

If you choose to donate, you are not simply giving toward a service dog, you are helping give Charlie protection, support, independence, and a loyal companion who will stand beside him every step of the way. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in Charlie and helping us give him this incredible chance.

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.