Autism Service Dog for Katie

Thank You Walmart Woodbridg!!

2010-05-04T20:39:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,
Last Friday and Saturday we held a small fundraiser/information session at the Walmart in Woodbridge..This store was fantastic and showed interest in further supporting fund raisers for Autism Dog services. They have said that Walmart will match any funds we raise while doing fund raisers there...Yea Walmart Woodbridge!!!

Katie and Amber in print!!

2010-03-29T07:41:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,
Its been a very busy past few months...In December Katie and Amber were featured in Dogs in Canada Magazine!!
You can find the article here:
Dogs in Canada
Katie and Amber are doing wonderfully together and now that spring seems to be here we are hoping to start our fund raising efforts up again!!
We hope you enjoy the article!!
Lorrine

New donations

2010-01-10T20:57:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a great holiday season! Ours was very quiet with both the kids staying illness free the entire Christmas break, Yea! We had a visitor with us for a weekend..a friend of mine has a seeing eye dog who asked me to bbsit her for the weekend...so Amber had a playmate and the kids, especially Katie loved it! Amber is doing very very well and I expect her to take her public access test soon. We were actually thinking of doing it more than a month ago but Katie came down ill so I was not able to meet up with Wade to do the testing.

Amber is doing fantastic in public and I have even been able to take her to the mall and have her heel with me off leash! Her birthday was the 23rd of December so now our Amber is officially 2 years old! Amber and Katie are bonding more and more each day they sleep together every night and sometimes disappear early evening for a quick nap like in the picture above...seems Katie has decided that Amber needs more treats and they both sneek away to the bedroom to share Katie's snacks when they are given the opportunity LOL Hard for a Labrador to say no to food stuck in their face and a little girl insisting on you eating it!! LOL I just have to watch them more closely now when its snack time! However snacks are pretty healthy here so I'm not to worried :-)

We received another 300 dollars in total donations over the holiday season!! Thanks for helping out Jill and Janet!!

We hope you had a great holiday and the New Years brings much joy and health to everyone!
Take care and Thank you!!

Katie's been sick

2009-10-25T16:46:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

Katie came down with a very bad virus and was very ill over night..she is much better this morning which is a huge relief, however she had during the night 7 episodes of seizure activity. Very scarey stuff...Amber laid on the floor the whole night..many times getting up and resting her chin on the edge of the bed. I would not however allow her up as Katie was vomiting often...this morning when things calmed down, I washed up Katie real good, disinfected her hands and allowed Amber up...she instantly laid down and Katie's hand went to her..she licked on her hand for a very long time then settled down to sleep next to her for awhile.
I am happy to report that by this afternoon Katie is up and around and feeling better. Yea!!!
Thanks Amber for the comfort you provide our Katie!!

Katie and Amber in the media!

2009-10-16T17:09:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

Recently I was interviewed by a very nice reporter for the magazine "Dogs in Canada". This is the Canadian Kennel Club's official magazine. Katie and Amber will be featured in the December issue!!
Dogs in Canada can also be viewed online at http://www.dogsincanada.com/
Don't forget we are still fund raising to pay for Amber!!

On another note as you can see from the photo, Amber has started sleeping with Katie..this is a great big step in the bonding process and has brought about several nights of sleeping right through for Katie. Normally Katie is awake several times a night...this a a big treat to have her sleep through!!

2009-09-13T21:50:00.001-04:00

Saturday October 3, 2009
Autism Dog Services presents:
1st Movie Fundraising Event

Join us for a special screening of the hit family comedy

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets I have them available, just email me at Lorrineperu@live.com or 416-244-1001
Movie: HOTEL FOR DOGS

Location: Empire Studio 10, at Square One, 100 City Centre Drive, Mississauga http://www.empiretheatres.com/theatre/91

Time: Information Booth 9:30am, suggested arrival time 10:00am, Movie Event 10.30am (100 min)

Tickets: Child Ticket $8

Adult Ticket $10

Child Combo $12 (includes drink, popcorn and treat in box tray)

Adult Combo $15 (includes regular drink and popcorn)

Stadium Seating and Dolby Digital Sound

Notes: A play room will be available for children who are unable to sit through the entire movie. Perfect for families first movie experience or families with special needs.
(NO pets allowed, only Service Dogs and those dogs in training are allowed at this event)

Synopsis:When 16 year old Andi and her younger brother Bruce find themselves in a foster home with a strict no pets policy, the siblings must use their quick
wit to find a new home for their dog Friday. The kids stumble on an abandoned hotel and begin transforming the hotel into a perfect home for Friday as well as all the strays in the city. In no time, the kids have transformed the old hotel into something magical: a home for both the dogs and for themselves. But they have also aroused the suspicions of the police who want to know WHO LET THE DOGS IN?
Cast: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Don Cheadle, Johnny Simmons, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon

I can personally sell you tickets, just email me at Lorrinep@teksavvy.com or Lorrineperu@live.com
Or email info@autismdogservices.ca or call 416-244-1001

We hope to see you there!!

Katie and Amber!

2009-08-06T08:59:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone,
Just an update on how Amber and Katie are getting along..as you can see they are bonding well together..its so difficult when you have Autistic tendencies to make that connection but they seem to be well on their way..here you see Amber actually getting comfort from Katie..there was a thunderstorm and Amber was a bit afraid but Katie crawled under the table and together they rode out the storm! That was a wonderful sight to see! I also caught Katie one day secretly sneeking treats to Amber hahaha ok well that isn't to good for a Lab since they tend to gain weight easily but Amber sure does love Katie now! haha
Don't forget we are still fund raising!! Help us reach our goal!!

New Fundraiser!

2009-06-25T08:36:00.003-04:00

We are happy to announce a new fund raising campaign to fund Katie's service dog...Check this out!

Easy Daysies™ Fundraiser for: Service Dog For Katie

**As seen on Global Noon Hour Hews!!

Fundraiser Start Date: June 24, 2009 Fundraiser End Date: July 24, 2009

Dear Parent and Friend,

Here is a great opportunity to help your child have easier days at home and also help our friend Katie raise funds to help her get her Autism Service Dog! Easy Daysies is a unique and practical Canadian mom/teacher invented product for children to help them have easier days! [Also, 5% of the profits from each kit go towards helping children around the world be freed from terrible bondages. (International Justice Mission).]

Easy Daysies is a great and original gift idea for any family you know! Is a birthday or celebration coming up? Great for Christmas too! Every parent and child will love using Easy Daysies! Use on a magnetic board or any magnetic surface!

Your child will learn responsibility, priorities, word recognition, while developing confidence, self-discipline, respect, and good work habits!

“Use routine to encourage good behaviour. Routine helps a [child] understand her world. When she knows what comes next, she feels more in control and it’s easier for her to cooperate. Routines are especially helpful for those transition points: getting ready for daycare, bedtime & so on.” - 10 tools for Positive Discipline, Today’s Parent Magazine (Feb. 2007, p.68)

“Easy Daysies is the handheld of pipsqueak planners. Maybe it’s the spark of the New Year ... we’re ready to get our kids organized and on schedule too. Easy Daysies is a magnetic daily planner that reminds our kiddies with key words and illustrations of what they need to … Designed by Vancouver mom and teacher, these fridge-worthy magnets help create routines for our little ones (routine equals sweet sanity). We’re stuck on these magnets…” - Stick to it, SweetMama.ca, Mar 20, 2009

Check out this great Fundraiser for Service Dog For Katie!

How it works: It’s so easy!

Visit www.easydaysies.com to place your order

VERY IMPORTANT: at the checkout screen, click on “Add Special Instructions to Merchant” and type in “servicedogforkatie” & Katie will receive 40% of your order funds to get her Autism Service Dog!

Thank you for helping Katie!

And the winner is......

2009-06-06T17:28:00.006-04:00

The winners for the raffle draw on Saturday June 6th are:

For the KitchenAid 16pc. Cutlery set donated by Caplan Appliances-
Marla Rattner

For the clock radio donated by JDG Electronics in Toronto-
Marie Breeling

Many thanks to all of you who participated and to Valleyfield Junior School
for hosting this yard sale!!
Earnings from this raffle and sale items is $235.92!!

2009-05-25T11:43:00.002-04:00

Click image to enlarge:

Raffle for Katie!
We are holding a raffle in addition to the community yard sale at Valleyfield coming up June 6th!
We received a very generous donation from Caplan's Appliances for us to raffle off for Katie's fund. Thank You Caplan's!!
As you can see its a wonderful 16 piece KitchenAid Cutlery set and its valued at $150.00!!
I am selling tickets for $2 each or 3 for $5. Katie will draw the winning ticket the evening of June the 6th.
I will take orders for tickets online too, just email me at lorrineperu@live.com to place your order.
I am also hoping for other donations to raffle also! In the event I get more than 1 donation the first ticket drawn will have first choice of the prizes available, etc.
Thanks and good luck to those of you who purchase tickets!!

A Sale at Valleyfield

2009-05-12T19:44:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,
On Saturday June 6th Alex's school is doing a community yard sale...I am going to get a table and sell some items. Hopefully if I get a donation from a store I'll have some items for a raffle...All proceeds from the raffle and sale of items at my table will go to get Katie her service dog!! Thats Saturday June 6th at Valleyfield JS 35 Saskatoon Drive Toronto, ON M9P 2E8. Times are from 10am to 2pm...It should be a great time! Come on out!!

A trip to Toronto's Beaches

2009-05-02T16:52:00.005-04:00

Hi all,
We went to the puppy training session today and had a great time. Today's session was at Toronto's beaches. As you can see Amber was there and Katie has missed her while she has been in advanced training with Wade the director of Autism Dog Services. Also at this session was the founder of NewTrix Advanced pet products Dr. Robert Curran DVM. Dr. Curran very graciously donated all new NewTrix Easyway collars to all the dogs present. Fun was had by all and lots of learning too! Don't forget we are still fund raising!!

New contributions!

2009-04-27T21:00:00.002-04:00

We had another great donation! Much thanks to the staff at The Old Mill Inn and Spa and to JDG Electronics in Toronto and to Firgrove Public School in Toronto. Your contribution to our cause is kind, thoughtful and in these difficult economic times very generous! Many thanks to you all!! Our special thanks go to Sylvia Montanez for being the driving force generating these contributions!! We Love You Sylvia!!

A sucessful meeting!

2009-04-23T08:35:00.003-04:00

Our visit with Service dog in training Amber went better than expected. It also lasted longer than expected with her staying 5 days instead of just the weekend. We believe that Amber is a wonderful match for Katie. Now Amber goes into advanced training with the program director and will be having home stay visits with us from time to time. During this time we will be meeting with Wade, director of Autism Dog Services, and discuss Ambers custom training to suit our wishes for Katie. Soon Katie will be able to go everywhere any other child can..and we as a family will not be limited by whether Katie's stroller will fit or if she won't be able to join in. With her dog she will be able to walk along with us and not be bound to a stroller seat. But just as important, our concerns for Katie's safety such as her leaving the house at night or her night time illness will be a thing of the past. Amber will be trained to notify us if either occurs. I have already seen a change in Katie in the short time Amber was here...Katie relaxed with her head on Amber quietly for quite some time..she let Amber lick her hands and feet which are normally overly sensitive areas on Katie and she avoids letting people touch them..a great achievement!!
Thanks to everyone who has so graciously donated to our cause...we have a way to go, if you can help please we would sincerely appreciate it!!

Servcie Dog Amber comes for a weekend visit!

2009-04-18T18:53:00.004-04:00

We have a visitor this weekend!! Service dog in training Amber!! She is visiting from Autism Dog Services and could possibly be Katie's match...time will tell! The visit is going well so far! Amber still has to go through the intensive training but that should start soon...Don't forget our fund raiser!!

Can't afford to donate, do you grocery shop and drive?

2009-04-03T14:24:00.007-04:00

http://www.fundscrip.com

For those of you living in the Greater Toronto Area,

Check it out, the participating retailers list is long!!

http://www.fundscrip.com/en/main_members.php

Here's a way for you to donate to Katie's service dog that wont cost you anything!!

If you regularly shop or buy gas we have signed up with a program that works with many businesses that allow them to donate a portion of purchases made to our program! How does this work? You buy a gift card or declining purchase card for the store you usually shop at or buy gas at and we get between 2 to 10 percent of the sales donated to Katie's service dog fund!

You get the exact value in the gift card as you purchase, simply use it and the company donates to Katie's cause!!

You can order from me, or online at Fundscrip but I must be able to deliver or have you pick it up (Toronto area) from me unless special arrangements are made.

If you buy directly from the web site just look for our organization name after you sign up-

Service Dog for Katie

Thanks everyone!

100 dollars closer!

2009-03-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone, we have two more 50 dollar donations this weeking to make a new total of $2276.00!! Thanks to everyone for your help!!

2009-03-07T16:54:00.008-05:00

Katie met with some of the puppies at a Autism Dog Services puppy class this weekend at Square One Mall, there she met Amber who is a Yellow Labrador Retriever and currently a year old. Amber is a sweet dog and Katie seems to love her. Is this Katie's match? Possibly, time will tell, both did well walking together for the very first time with vest and handle. If not Amber then someone a lot like her!! Our donations are now at
$2176.00...Thanks everyone, please pass the word and help us make our goal!!!

Thank You Valleyfield Junior School!!

2009-02-19T20:25:00.005-05:00

Valleyfield Junior school conducted a fund raiser for Katie's service dog and raised $550.00 selling lollipops for Valentines day!! Thank you so much to the students, parents and staff of Valleyfield!!

About Tetrasomy 18p

2009-02-12T08:27:00.003-05:00

For information about Katie's syndrome please go
here.
Katie is 1 of only 5 'known' cases in Canada. Of those 5 she is the ONLY known case that is Mosaic.

Service dog message board

2009-01-28T10:32:00.005-05:00

Katie's family recently set up Autism Service Dog Central Canada, a message board for people who want to share information about getting a service dog.

Thinking about getting a service dog? This message board is for you!

Autism Service Dog Costs $18,000 – Please Help Family Raise Funds

2009-01-06T15:24:00.011-05:00

Katie is a happy, loving 7 year old. She was born with Tetrasomy 18p which among other things, results in a developmental delay and autistic tendencies, such as a pervasive, potentially dangerous trust of strangers, a lack of social boundaries, and extreme sociability.

Autism Service Dogs are specially trained to provide companionship, safety and independence for people like Katie. They can guide her, stop her from running into traffic and ensure she doesn’t leave the house without an adult. Most importantly a dog like this can also notify Katie’s parents when Katie wakes during the night. Currently, Katie awakens sometimes two to three times a night, five nights a week on average.

Katie’s mom says, "It has been seven years since I slept well. I sleep with one ear open. It has been trying."

Katie gets sick often and when she does she sometimes ends up in hospital, which consumes much of her mom’s time. In spite of that, Katie’s mom Lorrine, still manages to volunteer at her son’s school as well as with a disabled woman in their community. Katie’s dad, Gord, is an avionics technician with DeHavilland. Katie’s little brother Alex, is a fun-loving grade one student at Valleyfield, an inner city school in Toronto's west end.

Lorrine also founded and runs the website http://www.tetrasomy18p.ca which is a free resource (including interactive message boards) for individuals and families affected by any disability including but not limited to Chromosome 18 abnormalities to meet and share information.

How you can help

2009-01-05T18:48:00.018-05:00

Thank you for your interest in helping Katie get an autism service dog.

There are many ways you can help:

If you know of an organization that may be interested in sponsoring some or all of Katie's dog, please contact the family at:
katieservicedog [at] yahoo [dot] ca
Spread the word. Share this cause on your blog, through Facebook / MySpace or send links to this site by e-mail*. Talk about it with family, freinds or with whomever you think would like to participate or donate. The more people who know, the more people there are to help. (If 18,000 people, each gave one dollar, we'd be done!)
Send comments, suggestions and feedback to Katie's family at:
katieservicedog [at] yahoo [dot] ca
Donations from individuals are always welcome! Here are some ways to donate money.

Add this button (140x140px) to your blog by copying and pasting the code below:

Add this button (140x80px) to your blog by copying and pasting the code below:

* Please DO NOT cut and paste text from this site and e-mail it to all of your friends. It is not our intention to be a source of e-mail spam. We do not want to have the e-mail message show up in our inbox five years from now! Practice responsible internet fundraising! Linking directly to this site makes sure that interested people always have the most recent information.

How to donate

2009-01-01T15:13:00.007-05:00

Donations can be made directly to the bank to the "Service Dog for Katie" account at:

TD Canada Trust
Branch # 0193
Bank #004
Account#01935215671

And the Swift code for bank wires: TDOMCATTTOR

Donations can also be made via PayPal

Or contact Katie’s family directly and they will send you their paper mail address:

katieservicedog [at] yahoo [dot] ca

For direct donations to the service dog trainer please see his web site at http://autismdogservices.ca or his mailing address below and send payments* to:

Autism Dog Services
139 Hewat Street
Cambridge, Ontario
N3H 4H2

*with a note saying the donation is for Katie P's service dog.

Local couple raising funds for service dog for their daughter

2008-12-18T15:33:00.006-05:00

from Inside Toronto

Local couple raising funds for service dog for their daughter
By TAMARA SHEPHARD December 18, 2008 4:43 PM

Katie touches the calm black Labrador retriever's face, hugs him tightly, then grabs a pillow and snuggles up with him for a nap.
While the seven-year-old is mesmerized by the year-old pup, her parents share her curiosity for another reason- Pepsi is an autism service dog.
The chestnut-haired girl has many autistic tendencies, such as a pervasive, potentially dangerous trust of strangers, a lack of social boundaries, and extreme sociability.
"Katie trusts and loves everybody," her mom, Lorrine, said recently in the living room of the family's home in The Westway. "She wouldn't think twice about going with anybody. In the blink of an eye, she can be gone. I can't let her go or take my eyes off her."
Katie also has a rare chromosomal abnormality called Tetrasomy18p which, like autism, causes developmental delays.
Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact with others. A spectrum disorder, autism varies in degrees of severity and impairment.
Recently, Lorrine and Gord, who is an aeronautics technician with DeHavilland, began fundraising to get Katie her own autism service dog to help her remain safe, and to give her some independence and companionship.
An article on autism service dogs in Exceptional Parent magazine, and numerous Internet searches later, led the family to Wade Beattie, a leading autism service dog trainer with more than 20 years experience.
Beattie founded Autism Dog Services in Cambridge, Ont., which provides families with autistic children with either golden retrievers or black labs selected for temperament, then trained to meet the specific needs of each child and family.
The dogs cost $18,000, which covers the cost of training, vet costs, a comprehensive follow-up program, and lifelong training support.
Volunteers raise and socialize the hand-picked pups for up to 18 months, then Beattie does advanced training with each dog for another five months.
"The dogs provide safety, independence and companionship for autistic children," Beattie said, the day he brought Pepsi to meet Katie and her parents. "The dogs are a calming influence in public places that are highly stimulating like malls and school. Autistic children have difficulty with social interaction and communication. The hope is the dog will bridge the gap with people and places."
Children are tethered to the dog, the leash held by a parent or guardian, to provide independence and improve safety by preventing the child from bolting into traffic.
Safety is of great concern. Katie awakens, sometimes ill, two to three times a night, five nights a week on average. Twice, she has managed to leave the house in the middle of the night.
"Katie can never, never be left alone," Lorrine said of her oldest child. The couple's son, Alex, is six. "It has been seven years since I slept well. I sleep with one ear open. It has been trying."
An autism service dog could be trained to awaken Katie's parents to her stirring.
Beattie has worked with more than 80 families with autistic children, including the Giffords in Ingersoll, Ont. Beattie trained Beau, the family's yellow Labrador retriever pup, to be an autism service dog to their son, David.
The 12-year-old boy is non-verbal and suffers from extreme anxiety.
Today, Beau accompanies David to school every day, and goes with the family on outings to the park, swimming, shopping, even to doctor's appointments. About half of Beattie's placed service dogs attend school with their children.
"The very first day Beau went to school with David full-time, David sat through the entire assembly for the first time," his mom, Kathleen, said in a recent phone interview from her home. "Transitions are very difficult for David, whether class-to-class or recess. Beau removed that for him. He redirects his focus away from the transition and lowers his anxiety."
Beau has opened David's world, and diminished his anxiety about public places, even if the bridge to socialization still awaits.
"It would be great if David didn't have any anxiety. I'd like to see more interactions. It's fine that he's going into public places, but my hope is that it could be social for David, rather than to fulfill a need, like going swimming."
Lorrine hopes for the same for her daughter.
Grocery shopping could become manageable for the family with a service dog, Lorrine said.
"I can't get many groceries because Katie is too big for the cart. If she had a dog, I could push the cart and hold the leash, and Katie could walk tethered to the dog. It would make a big difference in our lives."
HOW TO GIVE
Lorrine and Gord are raising funds to train a Labrador retriever as an autism service dog for their daughter, Katie. The seven-year-old has developmental delays caused by autistic-like tendencies, and a rare chromosome abnormality called Tetrasomy 18p.
An autism service dog costs approximately $18,000, which covers the cost of training customized to a child and family's needs and lifelong support.
To donate, visit the family's website www.tetrasomy18p.ca/katieservice.html or email katieservicedog [at] yahoo [dot] ca