Rachel's Service Dog

This is Rachel.  Rachel was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum when she was four.  We have struggled with IEPs, Occupational Therapy and everything else spectrum parents struggle with and fight for to make their child's life easier and their education more attainable; things like food and diet, screen time, medication and supplements, security and safety and the millions of other things that parents (both spectrum parents and not) deal with every day.

Because of that hard work and Rachel's dedication, she is the best reader in her grade, excels in math and is a great student.

But she still needs help.  School isn't easy for her emotionally, and we see this at home.  From simple, normal things like fighting with her mom and sister, to the not-so-normal things like bolting, extremely high levels of anxiety and other, spectrum-related behavior.

One of the best ways to help her is a companion.  A constant companion who can giver her hugs and pressure when anxiety makes her feel like she is going in a million directions, who can alert others when she might be making a bad decision, and who will be a constant source of calm in her life.




Meet Abby. She's a service dog. She's from Capable Canines of Wisconsin ​. Abby is going to be our dog and she is a great companion for Rachel . We are both incredibly excited and a touch overwhelmed by the fundraising that we now have to do to make Rachel and Abby a permanent team.

The breeding and training of service dogs is a time intensive and expensive process and can cost upwards of $10,000 - none of which is covered by our insurance. To that end, we are coming to you, our friends and family, to help us raise the funds to bring Rachel and Abby together. Asking for money and help is not something I am used to, and I hardly know where to start; so I'm starting simply. I'm working on a website and talking to the trainers about methods that other people have used to raise funds, but GoFundMe is simple, so here I am, kicking it off and making a start.

If you would like the tax benefits of a donation, please donate in Rachel's name directly to Capable Canines.  You can do so by visiting the Capable Canines website and donating via PayPal (send me a message here or on Facebook to let me know that you did it and I will tell them to tag it for Rachel, I don't need to know the amount - just that you did it), or you can send a check directly to me at home or here ( both payable to: Capable Canines FBO Rachel Charbeneau):

Capable Canines of Wisconsin, Inc.
P.O. Box 34
Onalaska, Wisconsin 54650

Donations from their page (if you donate via PayPal, please tell me or Rachel won't get the credit) or by check will go into a specific account at Associated Bank, managed by the Capable Canines team, and is completely tax deductible as they are a non-profit organization.  They will also be credited toward our balance.

So, there it is, the journey begins - and from the bottoms of our hearts, thank you.