Companion for Connor

This is Connor David. He is looking forward to turning 6 this summer. Connor is a sensitive, hilarious, creative, and adventurous big brother. Sometimes that adventurous part puts Connor, and others, in danger. Connor lives with a brain injury (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) which often prevents him from accurately assessing danger, from learning from his experiences, from understanding the relationship between cause and effect, and from moderating his impulses to act. It is also harder for Connor to manage his emotions, and even small stressors can cause him to explode, and sometimes run away. Connor runs fast, and he runs far. This has led to many scary experiences for Connor’s family.

Connor has always connected closely with animals, and even dreams of being a zoologist one day. Connor has been approved by 4 Paws for Ability to be matched with a service dog specifically trained for his unique needs, to help his family support and protect him. The dog will be able to help Connor stay calm before he escalates, help to interrupt self-harming behaviors, utilize a tethering system to allow Connor to safely go places with his family, and the dog will even be trained to track Connor’s scent in the event he does elope. On top of all this, we truly believe the relationship itself, between Connor and his special helper, will be significantly impactful for Connor.

We are so grateful to be partnering with 4 Paws! Through the process of breeding, raising, and extensive training, each service dog costs the 4 Paws team around $40,000-60,000. Our family is responsible for $17,000 of that total cost. We are asking for support from our community to help us reach this funding goal! Would you partner with us?