travel for dodge to get his service dog

Dodge is an autistic 8-year old boy with extreme sensory processing challenges. This causes Dodge to either crave sensory input in the home by repetitively jumping, spinning, or moving with no concern for personal safety; this same sensory processing challenge causes him to be overwhelmed in public, which can lead to wandering as he seeks relief from the overstimulation. Autistic children are often referred to as “Houdini” by their parents, as they are able to escape the most secure locations in the home and have an even easier time wandering in public.

Dodge was born with drugs in his system and dropped off to his foster, and now adoptive mother, Jen. At the time, she had been working in an after school program with other foster children, so the foster agency called, hoping she would take temporary custody of Dodge. Jen welcomed Dodge into her home 20 minutes later with nothing more than the blankets in which he was wrapped.

Dodge is 100% boy with a high level of energy, who needs a service dog for several reasons. First, he wanders when over or under stimulated, which a service dog has been shown to prevent and if he does wander the service dog will have been trained to aid in finding him. Proper sleeping habits are also an issue for Dodge and service dogs have proven very effective in normalizing sleep patterns and behaviors for autistic children. There is also a very special bond that forms between the child and service dog, one that can go beyond the few friends an autistic child may have and even the family relationship. Hugs that may not be available even to a family member are freely given to the service dog. All funds raised will go directly towards travel expenses to attend training in Xenia Ohio, any money not used for training will help with necessary dog supplies and vet bills. Thank you for taking the time to read Dodge’s story and please help. No amount is too small and if you cannot donate, please share this with others.