A Service Dog for William
Donation protected
William is 9 years old. He is a loving and caring boy with copious amounts of energy and kindness.
William has Autism and a working differential of PANDAS. As a family, we have decided that a working service dog would greatly benefit William and help him deal with the extreme and debilitating anxiety he deals with on a day to day basis.
William was diagnosed with Autism at age 2.5. We rallied as a family and coped. With the help of teachers, professionals and many many hours of therapy, William flourished. We changed our lifestyle and our home and our ideology to help him grow into the kind and loving kid he is today. He is still strongly supported in the schools and at home to help him achieve his best.
Recently we had a major set back when William got sick with Strep. We have a working differential diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections). We are treating this with the help of professionals but have come to realize that William needs more support on a physical level. A dog that could attend school with him and help him regulate his anxiety would be the ideal partner for him.
Unfortunately, all public and private organizations that provide service dogs in Canada are not even taking waitlist candidates at this time. Our only 2 options currently are to wait for the wait lists to open up or seek a trainer and privately train a dog, certifying it ourselves.
We have opt for the second option as we feel strongly that a service dog well trained will greatly assist William with coping with the extreme and debilitating anxiety that is associated with his ASD and PANDAS. The sooner we provide this for him, the sooner he can get the help he needs.
We are opening this Go Fund Me to help with the costs of getting, keeping and training the service dog. I am currently looking for the perfect puppy. I have a vetted trainer lined up. And I have explored the costs associated with this adventure. The puppy itself will cost between $2000-$4000 for a health checked, vetted and from a reputable breeder puppy. And the training could be anywhere between $15,000-$25,000 depending on the dog, temperment and time needed to train the dog. This investment warrants health insurance for the dog as well, so the monthly cost of that is considered too. Going forward, the family is willing to absorb these cost for William but it will be a great strain. We are asking for help from family, friends and the community. Please help us provide the support of a certified service dog that William so desperately needs.
This endeavor is fully supported by his family doctor and we are in the process of vetting breeders and dogs. We completely understand that if you can’t donate for this, but if you could share our story on Facebook or with family and friends that would be greatly appreciated! May we all find our path.
William has Autism and a working differential of PANDAS. As a family, we have decided that a working service dog would greatly benefit William and help him deal with the extreme and debilitating anxiety he deals with on a day to day basis.
William was diagnosed with Autism at age 2.5. We rallied as a family and coped. With the help of teachers, professionals and many many hours of therapy, William flourished. We changed our lifestyle and our home and our ideology to help him grow into the kind and loving kid he is today. He is still strongly supported in the schools and at home to help him achieve his best.
Recently we had a major set back when William got sick with Strep. We have a working differential diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections). We are treating this with the help of professionals but have come to realize that William needs more support on a physical level. A dog that could attend school with him and help him regulate his anxiety would be the ideal partner for him.
Unfortunately, all public and private organizations that provide service dogs in Canada are not even taking waitlist candidates at this time. Our only 2 options currently are to wait for the wait lists to open up or seek a trainer and privately train a dog, certifying it ourselves.
We have opt for the second option as we feel strongly that a service dog well trained will greatly assist William with coping with the extreme and debilitating anxiety that is associated with his ASD and PANDAS. The sooner we provide this for him, the sooner he can get the help he needs.
We are opening this Go Fund Me to help with the costs of getting, keeping and training the service dog. I am currently looking for the perfect puppy. I have a vetted trainer lined up. And I have explored the costs associated with this adventure. The puppy itself will cost between $2000-$4000 for a health checked, vetted and from a reputable breeder puppy. And the training could be anywhere between $15,000-$25,000 depending on the dog, temperment and time needed to train the dog. This investment warrants health insurance for the dog as well, so the monthly cost of that is considered too. Going forward, the family is willing to absorb these cost for William but it will be a great strain. We are asking for help from family, friends and the community. Please help us provide the support of a certified service dog that William so desperately needs.
This endeavor is fully supported by his family doctor and we are in the process of vetting breeders and dogs. We completely understand that if you can’t donate for this, but if you could share our story on Facebook or with family and friends that would be greatly appreciated! May we all find our path.
Organizer
Samantha Cave
Organizer
Chestermere, AB