Help Anderson receive an Autism Service Dog

In August 2021, our son Anderson was diagnosed with the most severe level of Autism and sensory processing disorder just before his third birthday. He was also diagnosed as non-verbal.

Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.

As a parent, it was so scary to see our sweet boy start to lose his eye contact and stop responding to his name. He became scared of all loud sounds and developed an aversion to water which made bath time very stressful for everyone.

We didn’t feel like we could leave our house for a while because we couldn’t keep him safe or avoid having a meltdown.

Anderson lacks awareness of danger and is an elopement risk (runs away), so taking him to public or crowded places became very difficult.

As he grows older, we weren't sure how we were going to help keep him safe, help him learn to communicate as well as foster independence at the same time.

Saber Life Foundation

That’s when we saw Saber Life Foundation’s Facebook page and the incredible stories of others who benefited from an autism service dog.

From better speech development to increased safety to having a friend for the first time, these service dogs were changing lives!

We thought, “Wow! If only Anderson could get a service dog like this!”

Over the past few years, Saber Life Foundation has equipped families all over with special needs service dogs to help increase the independence of autistic and other special needs individuals.

They work with highly sought-after professional trainers to train these dogs for deep pressure therapy, keeping children who are flight risks from running, providing comfort, & many more services.

Typical service dogs cost upwards of $20,000. Because of the generosity of the 501c3, families needing service dogs can purchase a professionally trained service dog for about half that!

We applied to the Saber Life Foundation, not really thinking it could be a reality for Anderson. Then out of the blue, we received a phone call with the news.

Anderson has graciously been accepted as a recipient of an Autism Service Dog through The Saber Life Foundation!

Anderson struggles with daily activities: such as grocery shopping, doctors' offices, family outings, etc. He doesn’t understand the dangers of parking lots or have the ability to go for help if he ever gets separated from his family.

Research has shown that a service dog would help him better navigate this big world and increase his ability to handle high anxiety situations.

Anderson will be able to participate and experience the world around him in a way he hasn’t been able to before!

Would you be willing to help our family get Anderson a service dog? Our goal is $8,000 to cover the remaining cost of a professionally trained service dog that will be with Anderson into his teens.

How the Funds will be used:

The development and certification of a service dog involve hundreds of hours with professional animal trainers, above and beyond the cost of the animal itself. We have spent months researching organizations and trainers and believe we have the absolute best partners in this process. We have budgeted and planned for the ongoing care of Anderson's Service Dog, but we do need additional funding for the training and upfront costs of the service dog.

These funds will be used to complete the 12-month training program to certify this dog to support Anderson specifically.

How you can help:

Help us spread the word using the hashtag #Paws4Anderson or Paws4Anderson.Org!

Your gift will directly help Anderson achieve more independence and focus on his longer-term development as he grows.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to helping Anderson experience a more full and complete life experience!