Coming home with Marco

We graduated from Autism Assistance Dog training with tracking on November 16, 2006. We flew back to California the next day. We flew from Dayton airport to San Francisco with one two hour layover. Marco was nervous, but a real trooper about his first plane ride. We sat in the front of the plane and he was down by my feet. He kept sticking his nose out into the aisle so he could see what was going on. He was perfectly behaved in the airports, and even more amazingly, so was Sage.

I've flown alone with Sage a couple of times before, and it's always been a real challenge. But this time she did not cry or tantrum ALL DAY. This is almost unheard of. It was the easiest trip we've ever taken. Even when we got off the second plane and Marco had an "accident", we were all right. I had my cleanup supplies ready before he was done, and no one hassled us. In fact, one woman came up to me while Marco was going potty and said that it made her feel better to see Marco, because she has a therapy dog, and the same thing always happens to her whenever she has him with her in an airport. People were friendly and helpful and accomodating all day. I don't think we've ever had so much help.

Because of the time difference, we still had half a day left in California. My girlfriend Jenny and I took Sage and Marco home for a little bit. We really didn't feel like going out again, but we didn't have any coffee in the house, which would be a necessity in the morning. So we loaded up Sage and Marco and drove to Trader Joe's.

Besides the tracking ability of our dog, we had wanted a service dog to help out while shopping. Sage has always needed to be sitting in the seat of the shopping cart or be carried in order to make it through the store. Not any more! That night Sage was tethered to Marco and Jenny and I took turns either pushing the cart or holding Maro's leash. Sage needed only a few reminders to hang on to Marco's handle (on his harness). We were able to look around the store without being in the constant state of near panic that happens when you are afraid to take your eyes off of Sage for half a second, lest she run away. I also realized when I got home that I made it through an entire shopping trip without breaking a sweat! I always find myself picking Sage up and carrying her to keep her from fussing. That's a little tough to do with 50 pounds of dead weight. This time, I just kept redirecting her to her job of holding Marco's handle. She was perfectly happy to do that.

So, life is good. After only our first day with our new service dog, I know we did the right thing to get to where we are. Every bit of work was worth it, and we are looking forward to things only improving with practice.

Thank you 4 Paws!

We're going to get a dog!!!!

A Dog And A Kid

No one will invent and no one ever did
A happier pair than a dog and a kid.

For doubt can't bedim nor can worry befog
The gay zestful way of a kid and a dog.

Athrob with adventure, their hearts beat as one,
Their pulses resurge with the rhythm of fun.

They swing into action as impulse may bid,
"Today is the day" for a dog and a kid.

Oh God, clear the pathway along which they jog
And smooth out the bumps for a kid and his dog.

And make the world that they wander amid
A place truly fit for a dog and a kid.

Berton Fraley



I don’t know how we got so lucky, but I am very grateful. The 4 Paws team has invited us to the November training. The head of the organization, Karen Shirk, explained to us that if they see a family who has been steadily and reliably working on their fundraising goal, and they happen to have room in an upcoming class, they invite that family to come to the training. We still need to raise over $5000 to complete our commitment, but as long as we keep working toward our goal, we can take our dog home with us at the end of training week, November 17.

Things we need to make this happen:

A hotel room with a kitchen, that allows dogs, for Nov 6-17
Airfare to Dayton, Ohio
A large kennel/crate that is approved for air travel
Dog food, meds, supplies (of specific types... I think I’ll get a list)

None of this can come out of our 4 Paws fund. It has to be through a direct donation to me, and therefore is not tax deductible. However, this stuff is **really** important, so if you feel moved to help us out in any way, that would be wonderful.

There's still plenty of fundraising left to do, so be sure to keep sharing our story. You'll be hearing from us soon.

We moved!

Sage and I moved to California this summer. We live about an hour north of San Francisco. We have a great roommate, and our new home is going to be perfect for a dog! We have all wood laminate floors, a huge fenced-in backyard, and beautiful weather. Sage's new home daycare has a big dog, and Sage plays with her every day. She's really getting ready for her own 4 Paws companion. Even though we've moved away from our Ohio support system, we have faith that we can still finish our fundraising. We're looking for our next good idea, so let us know if you have any suggestions!

Autism rally and fundraiser

Last Tuesday, the Ohio Autism Taskforce had their annual Autism Awareness Month Rally. Sage and I were there, along with several of her "people." She has an entourage :-) At the rally, we advertised our connection with 4 Paws, and encouraged people to come to our fundraiser that evening to learn more about service dogs.

It was our biggest fundraiser to date. We earned $2000 total from a project we did at Scottie Macbean's, a local cafe. We had a silent auction of donated goods that brought in $1000, "I helped Sage get a Dog" signs that people purchased for a donation of any size brought us about $500, and we got a final $500 from the cafe itself, who donated 20% of their profits on food and coffee sales for the last 5 hours of the night. This fundraiser could not have succeeded without the hours of effort of many volunteers, from therapists, to family friends, to complete strangers. It was a beautiful thing. It was a significant amount of work, but it was fun since we all shared the work.

WE ARE NOW HALFWAY TO THE $12,000 WE NEED TO GET OUR DOG!!!

Thank you to everyone who has helped so far. Let's keep the ball rolling!

I love you

The t-shirt idea has come to fruition, thanks to Eva!








You can get your I Love You shirt at
http://www.designtodeliverhope.spreadshirt.com

There are lots of sizes, colors and styles. They have the sign language symbol for "I love you" on them. Sage will get $5 donated to 4 Paws for every t-shirt sold. I've never seen this design on a shirt before- I'm hoping that those wearing them will share Sage's story when they wear their shirts. Let me know if you get one. We're ordering ours today!


By the way, as of February 15, we have $2898.00 toward Sage's dog. Yes!

In memory of a boy...

I had no idea how much this process would touch me. I had the sweetest, saddest call today from a woman whose church group wanted to donate to Sage's dog fund. She said they had read the newspaper article and wanted to give us $50. We chatted for a bit while I looked up the 4 Paws address for her, and she told me that she also had a mentally retarded child. I said that she probably knows what I go through every day; how I worry about Sage. She replied that her son died when he was 17 years old. I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I told her how sorry I was. I can't imagine how awful it must be to lose a child. She said he died at a school swimming function. While other children with more severe disabilities were getting the majority of the attention in the pool, her son had a seizure and drowned. I'm sure this woman was the one to present our story to her church group. I just wanted to hug her. I thanked her again and told her again how sorry I was. I said that stories like hers are the reason I want Sage to have that extra pair of eyes on her all the time. I hope that our fundraising exposes many more people to the concept of service dogs for people with any sort of disability. For all of the parents out there who have a child like Sage, I wish their children safety.

We're on the front page!!!

Check it out!

http://www.snponline.com/NEWS2-1/2-1_boautism.htm


This is so fantastic. This paper is delivered to every home in our neighborhood. I haven't checked out the exact circulation, but I know it's really big. Here's hoping it makes a difference in reaching our goal.

Gifts from Unexpected Places

We've made it though the holiday season, and are redoubling our fundraising efforts. Holidays are a lot of work for Sage. She doesn't always appreciate the change in routine, and doesn't get very excited about opening presents. But things are so much better than last year, when she didn't even know what to do with a gift wrapped package. A year ago, we spent weeks beforehand practicing with little wrapped boxes of chocolate. When it was time to open presents for real, she wasn't too impressed once she realized there wasn't candy inside.

Now that things have settled down, I'm working on getting our story out to more people. I sent out more letters to my California community, and got some great responses. Someone has offered to create "I Love You" t-shirts to sell as a fundraiser. I sent a letter to each of the seven Columbus area newspapers telling them about 4 Paws, and I'm hoping someone will write a story about us.

Some really wonderful people have given to us lately. We went to get my son's hair cut, and while we were there, one of the stylists came up to us and asked if I was Sage's mom. I have been taking my family to this Great Clips (discount hair salon) for a few years, so some of the employees know us. When I said I was Sage's mom, the stylist told me that everyone at Great Clips donated money every Friday to 4 Paws in honor of Sage. They've been doing it for weeks, and I had no idea!

Another great story is one my friend shared with me. She told me her teenage daughter had donated all of the Christmas money she'd received to 4 Paws. This same girl also sent letters out to all of her relatives, asking them to donate as well. Again, I had no idea. I can't imagine a bigger gift than a teenager parting with her spending money!

It's been so great to see people reach out to help us like this. I'll get our latest totals at the end of the month, so be sure to check back for updates.