Power Of The Paw
Autistic children live in a very isolated world. This heartwarming story, once again, goes to show what a powerful influence a dog can be in your life. Karen Shriek, founder of 4 Paws for Ability, says “Dogs work ‘magic’ on kids with autism”.
Since 1998, through her nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability, Shirk has helped partner service dogs with people with a wide range of disabilities.
Although the organization was originally started to help people with all disabilities she wanted to focus on children, especially those with autism.
Since many agencies have age restrictions, she now specializes in providing dogs to children. The dogs help kids with a variety of issues, from mobility problems to seizures, but from the start Shirk wanted to find ways to assist children with autism.
“I knew [autistic children] connected to animals,” she remembers. “I knew that service dogs would be able to help.”
The dogs help provide the children with emotional support as well as assistance in keeping them safe.
Shirk’s 4 Paws for Ability requires that families raise $12,000, on average, to pay for their service dog. Each dog is trained for the child’s specific needs, and the entire process takes between nine and 18 months.
advertisementIn the end, families come to Ohio to meet their dogs and receive training. For Shirk, seeing the kids bond with their dogs makes her efforts worthwhile.
4 Paws for Ability is always in need of donations, sponsors, and volunteers. I give this organization two big paws up for their dedication and hard work to help make a child’s life a little easier.
Dog owners can revel in the fact that research studies report a link between dog ownership and reduced stress and improved health for their human companions. There’s nothing like the loyalty and unconditional love of a dog to balance the fast-paced, high tech nature of life today. Whatever you have to deal with, when you come home and your dog rushes to greet you with his tail wagging, the troubles of the day melt away.
A tired dog is a happy dog!!
Max’s mom here…..
I drive a School Bus, and in the summer I have all Autistic Children, and to see how they are lost in their own world, I can understand how the right Dog can help these wonderful lost children. God Bless 4 Paws for Ability for all you do.
Max’s mom and Max aka Gator Lips the Swamp Dawg
My son has an autism service dog from North Star Dogs Foundation in Storrs, Connecticut. He’s had an unbelievable impact on our son and our family and now we can’t imagine life without him. We’ve been keeping a blog about his progress and his effect on our family at: http://charliethenorthstardog.blogspot.com/