Help Scott's Guide Dog, Thunder

THUNDER'S RAINY DAY FUND — LET'S KEEP THIS TEAM TOGETHER

My good friend Scott Bernstein has retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease. He is now almost totally blind. He and his guide dog, Dave "Thunder" Bernstein, have been together for the past decade. Recently, Thunder has had several health issues, including cancer, liver disease, and kidney disease. The surgeries and tests that were vital to Thunder's recovery have left Scott in even greater debt than before. Several of Scott's friends and I are trying to help him 1) get back on track financially and 2) get his idea out there of starting a fund to help other guide dog teams.

SCOTT: "This is a major need. Most guide dog owners don't have the ability, means, or luck to be able to navigate these emergencies, and they have to give up their guide dogs."

Many of Scott's friends and neighbors have been planning to volunteer their time to stage a benefit concert for Scott and Thunder. The show was scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from 7:30–9 p.m. at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre, California. Scott was going to perform adapted excerpts from his "two-creature show" Unleashed in addition to material (songs and monologues) developed specifically for the event. Several guests were to present brief speeches, and I was going to fly in from Detroit to perform several songs. Kay Cole, of Broadway's A Chorus Line  fame, was all set to headline the concert. David Tobocman was signed on as the music director.

However, due to a recent decline in Thunder's health, the show has been postponed.

For now, there will be a small reception in its place. Scott will speak (Thunder's health permitting) and Kay Cole will perform "What I Did for Love." There may be some other guests as well. 

Guide dog schools provide training for the blind, and they match dogs with people. They also provide very basic veterinary care during a dog's working lifetime. This basic care does not include any specialty treatments. The most a blind person can hope for is a 10% discount from specialty hospitals. Most of Thunder's medical costs were not covered, nor will any subsequent treatments be covered, let alone food and other expenses, since Thunder will be retired soon.

SCOTT: "Thunder has already saved my life on three occasions, so I thought I owed him one."

Many blind people (including Scott) are on government assistance programs such as SSDI and SSI. Government stipends are limited to food for guide dogs ($50 per month), and they disappear when the dogs are retired. More problematic, government laws that allow service dogs to enter banks, restaurants, planes, busses, etc. do not apply to retired service dogs. And worst of all, many people who can't afford to keep their dogs as regular pets have no choice but to give their dogs away when they are retired from service.

Scott, who has been losing his vision since childhood, enjoyed a brief career as an actor in the 1980s. He was on the TV show Happy Days for two years and has written, directed, and/or acted in over 100 theatrical productions. His eye disease and other health issues forced him into early retirement. He ran a successful acting and improv workshop for many years after that, until his blindness precluded him from continuing. I met Scott in this workshop. I was his student, and we became close friends over the years. He has been my creative consultant for decades and has contributed mightily to my early acting and subsequent musical achievements. He is also the godfather of my son.

SCOTT: "I want to help as many other Guide Dog owners as I can have the best chance to keep their companions. That will be the mission of the Thunder Fund."

Scott's ultimate goal is to start a foundation or fund that will help blind people keep and care for their longtime canine companions once the dogs are retired. But our immediate goal is to help Scott meet Thunder's medical needs. The money raised here will go toward Thunder's vet bills and related costs.

You can make a huge difference in Scott's and Thunder's lives by donating here. You can also attend the reception if you will be in the Los Angeles area on April 7th.

THUNDER: "Woof! Woof!"

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECEPTION (previously the BENEFIT CONCERT)! 

If you have any further questions, please contact Russ Meek at (626) [phone redacted].

Thank you for contributing to (and helping spread the word about) our campaign,

Randy Kaplan