Help Lori Buffington Get a Life-Changing Service Dog

Hello, my name is Steve Buffington, and I am reaching out to you with a heartfelt request for support. My loving wife, Lori Buffington, who suffers from Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, is in need of a successor service dog. Her MS has begun to progress more rapidly, and her deficits are increasing. Lori has been without a service dog since her faithful companion Echo retired several years ago. Now that her condition is worsening, it is imperative that she receive a successor to Echo.

Lori was diagnosed with MS more than thirty years ago. While she had pronounced symptoms from the outset, by the grace of God, she was able to remain ambulatory until 2003 when a massive exacerbation left her confined to a wheelchair. Even so, she struggled to remain as active and productive as she could be, including working, raising our children, and maintaining our household, due in no small part to the three service dogs that she was paired with. Unfortunately, her most recent partner, Echo, became dog aggressive after having been attacked by other dogs, and she had to retire. Lori has had to give up work and driving due to ever-increasing symptoms. As her deficits increase with the worsening of her MS, even the simplest of tasks have become more difficult, if not impossible. Yet she still struggles to maintain our house, prepare meals, and all of the other day-to-day things one does. For those who are not familiar with what a service dog does for their human, it may be difficult to understand what a necessity they are for those with serious disabilities.

Some of the tasks a trained and certified service dog can do for their human include providing balance and support, seizure alert, opening and closing doors, retrieving items that have been dropped or that are out of reach, fetching the telephone in an emergency, and assisting with loading and unloading laundry from machines. A well-trained service dog can pick up an item as small as a dime. These are just basic skills, and most service dogs are trained for tasks specific to their human as well.

When Lori became aware of these amazing animals, she did extensive research into organizations that train them. She spent hours online, reviewing many different programs, and based on the initial training and the amazing follow-up program provided, she chose Canine Partners for Life in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, as the organization she wanted to work with. Canine Partners employs professional trainers, and they have an extensive puppy training program that includes several correctional facilities. Fortunately, she was accepted into their program and was partnered with Fennec, her first partner. The training was grueling for a person with MS, as stress and exertion tend to bring on exacerbations. But she struggled through, and her life was transformed. With Fennec by her side, there was little that she could not do. When Fennec retired, Lori was paired with Tinker and subsequently Echo. We have been fortunate enough to be able to secure the funding needed for these amazing animals over the years. As you can imagine, the investment in training, feeding, and providing veterinary care for the dogs is significant for the organization, and that cost has to be at least partially offset by the recipients. The cost for Lori to receive a successor dog will be approximately $5,000 between the donation for the dog and the associated and ancillary costs to attend the training. This is not covered by insurance, and we just do not have it built into our budget at this time.

I am seeking your generous support to help us raise $5,000 to get Lori another service dog. The difference that it will make in her life is immense. With the help of a service dog, her ability to carry on the most basic life skills will be preserved. Her level of fatigue will reduce, and hopefully, her increasing decline will slow down. Your kindness and generosity will make a huge impact on Lori’s life. So I ask you, please consider contributing to my GoFundMe page to help Lori Buffington get a service dog and improve her quality of life. Any contribution, no matter how large or small, will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this request, and I hope that you find it in your heart to help us.