As many of you may already know, I volunteer with an organization called Three Little Pitties (who rescues dogs and cats from overcrowded and euthanizing parts of Texas) mostly fostering and helping with transport/events. Recently I fell in love with my foster, Saba Sushi (now Merle Waggard) - he's a perfect addition to my life! His temperament is so gentle and he's so well-behaved that I genuinely believe that he could be an animal-assisted therapy dog. I would love to be able to adopt him and go through the therapy dog evaluation, but this is an expensive process in an already financially challenging time. I'm seeking help to grow my family and make this first step happen:

Adoption fees and initial medical fees are $730 - FULLY FUNDRAISED, see photos for receipt!

Initial evaluation for therapy dog training is $360 - STILL IN PROGRESS!

My background and interest with animal-assisted therapy includes a graduate research project with my occupational therapy program on the topic of animal-assisted therapy in schools (teaching responsibility and "parenting skills" to expecting teens, which included caring for, socializing, and training local shelter dogs to make them more adoptable) and I currently work as an occupational therapist in Vancouver Public Schools. I would like for Merle to be trained in some of these mental health protocols if he passes the initial evaluation phase.

Thank you for your support, financially or otherwise!