Please Help Piper Duddles Find Her Special Friend
Meet Piper. To anyone who doesn’t know her, they may think she is like any other pre-schooler, but she isn’t. Piper has Autism and Sensory Perception Disorder. We noticed the changes started when she turned 18 months old, at which point she began acting deaf.
She is currently in speech therapy and we partake in activities which help her work on her other issues, such as texture problems, oversensitivity to sounds, social interactions, a fear of children, etc. One “activity” we have found that helps her the most in EVERY area is dogs. Since Piper’s grandmother, Mimi, along with her dog, Teddy, moved in to help us, Piper began speaking again! We saw a change in her that was night and day.
After failing to find a way to take Teddy with us everywhere, we found 4 Paws for Ability, Inc., a nonprofit built to try to better the lives of disabled children. To our luck, one type they specialize in is Autism Service Dogs. Sadly, Teddy cannot be trained for this due to his age and his size.
Not only will the Autism Service Dog be able to go everywhere with Piper to help her feel comfortable in the “Big Scary World,” but the dog will also be trained in tethering to help us in public. Both the dog and Piper will wear special harnesses so they can walk together without fear of her running away when she gets overwhelmed, as she still does not respond to her name.
The dog will also be trained in tracking should she, GOD forbid, get away from us or “break out” of the house as she is a Houdini. The dog will also be trained in behavior disruption which means when he/she notices Piper is stuck in a “loop” or is injuring herself, the dog will interrupt it. Most importantly is what the dog cannot be trained for… that is the unconditional love that is shared between a child and their furry companion. For a child who has no child friends (not for lack of trying) the bond is even stronger and that much more special.
If you would like to make a donation to help Piper, you can click on the donate tab and make a donation via credit card. Please be sure to type “In Honor of Piper Duddles” in the Special Instructions box on the last page while donating.
To make a donation by check, fill it out to: 4 Paws For Ability
Memo/For: In Honor of Piper Duddles
Mail to: 4 Paws for Ability
253 Dayton Avenue
Xenia, Ohio 45385
To see Paws 4 Piper, a YouTube video, click here.
Click here to see Piper’s website.
Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.