Super Service Dog for Killian

Killian is an adventurous little guy who loves camping, hiking, going to the beach and playing video games. He has always been a happy child who enjoys laughing and sharing experiences with others. When he was 18 months old, Killian experienced speech regression losing all of his expressive communication. He wouldn't respond to his name or even point to indicate his needs.  He began working with a team of specialists and teachers. At age 3, he was diagnosed with Autism, and his current program consists of 6 hours of school and 3 hours of intensive therapy, 5 days a week.

Killian is adventurous and independent, and as he grows we want to continue to encourage him to navigate the world independently and safely. A service dog would give him more opportunities to explore his independence while providing him with some measure of security. He is drawn to dogs and responds well to them, and we believe an Autism service dog will help him live a more fulfilling life with a trained, watchful and loving companion. We believe a service dog will help Killian in many ways, including:

• Calming him when he is overstimulated;
• Helping him to stay close to his family in higher risk situations (crowded places, camping trips, etc);
• Finding him if he does wander off;
• Danger awareness;
• Helping him stay on task;
• Recognizing when he is overstimulated and giving him deep pressure "squeezes" to calm down;
• Acting as a social bridge to engage with others about his service dog;
• Giving him the opportunity to be responsible by learning how to brush, feed, and take care of his service dog, and affording him the opportunity to take pride in his efforts as he learns important life skills;
• Promoting increased communication by asking the dog to perform a trick or other command; and
• Assisting with transitions to provide a source of comfort and consistency when environments change and anxiety might be high.
  
  
  
  

How can you help? It costs 4 paws between $40,000-$60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog. Our Family has to raise 17,000 of that to pay for his service dog. 

When will Killian get his super pooch you ask? Once we have completed the fundraising portion of the process, the training begins. Each of the 4 Paws pooches goes through a two-year training program, after which Killian will get to benefit from his new best friend. 

The process 4 Paws uses for raising and training their dogs awesome! Not only do kiddos like Killian get to benefit from the pooches, but each of the pups starts out by giving and receiving love and initial training from inmates who are working towards their own rehabilitation. 

To donate directly to the 4 paws for ability website go to http://4pawsforability.org/donate-now/  For donations by check in support of Killian should be made directly to 4 paws for ability - mail to: 4 paws for ability in honor of Killian Branson 253 Dayton Ave. Xenia, Ohio, 45385

For direct website and donation by check please be sure to include Killian's name in the memo so that amount is credited to his account.

Thank you all for your support!