View Products |  Sign In

Chaise Gets A Service Dog

September 30, 2020

An “outpouring of love from our community” has resulted in a Shelocta family’s success in quickly raising $18,000 for a trained autism support dog for their son.

The story of the Clouser family — parents Ashley and Justin and sons Chaise, 6, and Conner, who turns 2 in October — was featured in the Sept. 13 edition of the Gazette, where they described their journey to fundraise for a dog from 4 Paws For Ability, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs.

The dog would assist Chaise, who has a diagnosis of autism and ADHD, as the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the behaviors associated with his condition and turned his world upside down, they said.

The Clousers thought the fundraising journey would be a long one.

According to 4 Paws For Ability, an autism assistance dog costs $40,000 to $60,000 to train. Because the organization is nonprofit, the cost to the family is about $17,000.

But an unexpected donation, coupled with a few fundraisers and community support, ended their fundraising journey in just a few weeks.

“My initial thought was that we would be planning fundraisers and events for at least six months up to a year to raise money for Chaise’s service dog,” Justin said.

“It has always been evident that we live in a very uplifting community, but never in my wildest dreams did I envision the fundraising process to last less than three weeks,” Ashley said.

Donations came from family, friends and “even strangers that took the time to donate and share our story on social media. That allowed for more awareness and ultimately us meeting our goal rather quickly,” Ashley said.

There were more than 110 donors for the effort.

Jeff Duffner and wife Angela, of Horizon Stables in Apollo where Chaise receives horses therapy, “worked tirelessly with Debbie Schultz at Schultz’s Sportsman Stop in Apollo to help organize three gun raffles that has helped us raise over $2,500,” Justin said.

A Facebook fundraising page listed $5,470 in donations as it closed.

Then, on Sept. 16, there was a phone call from someone interested in the status of the fundraisers and how much had been raised.

“Thinking that this person was just trying to figure out a fundraiser that would suit their needs, I provided all the information requested,” Ashley said. “This amazing couple then asked how much we still needed to raise. I explained a rough estimate and they indicated they needed a final amount as they were writing a check for the rest so we could focus on raising our boys rather than raising money.

“I honestly was like, ‘Wait, what?’ And as they continued to explain to me that this is happening, Chaise is getting his dog, I couldn’t help but fall to the floor in my kitchen and begin crying. This amazing couple just gave my son the lifeline we have been waiting for, and we feel so blessed.”

The Clousers said the donors wish to remain anonymous.

Once the pandemic has eased, the family plans to meet the couple and introduce them to Chaise and Conner.

“I explained that they are now considered part of our family and we are looking forward to getting to know them,” Ashley said.

Now that the money has been raised, Chaise can be added to a waiting list for his dog, as the canines are bred and trained on demand once fundraisers are complete. The waiting period is estimated at two years, they said.

After that, the family will attend a two-week training on handling the dog.

Prior to the pandemic, Chaise’s behavior was manageable, but the disruptions from the pandemic amplified incidents of biting, hitting and kicking to the point where Chaise was hospitalized at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital for the safety of himself and his family.

“We are confident that this new chapter in Chaise’s life will provide him with the coping skills to live his best life and honestly that’s all we want for him,” Ashley said.

Ashley said their family had reservations about asking others for help.

“We kind of felt guilty starting this journey, but with God’s guidance we have realized that this was not something we could handle on our own and set our pride aside to accept the generosity of our community in assisting Chaise,” Ashley said. “This couple and all our donors really have been amazing angels sent from God to help our son.”

Register Your Dog

Check Out Our Store

  • Recent News

    Walmart customer denied her access to service dog

    March 10, 2024

    Walmart customer with POTS says employees denied her access to service dog. customer can ruin everything. One Walmart shopper whose service dog alerted them to sit down on the ground due to a postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which is a fainting disorder, says that not only did the store’s staff attempt to deny her access […]

    Read more

    2024 Assistance Dog ID Cards Are Here!

    January 2, 2024

    Hello From Assistance Dogs Of America 2024 ID Cards Are Here! Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!   ADARegistry.com

    Read more

    Cyber Monday Service Dog Kits

    November 16, 2023

    CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL! (While Supplies Last) Complete Kits Include The ID Card Created Upon Registration, ID Card Holder, QR Coded Patch, Choice Of Vest, Extra Patch Of Choice, Bandana, Retractable Leash With ADA Logo, Tag & Registration Letter. Also All Included Is The All New Metal QR Coded Registration Card That Links Direct To Your […]

    Read more

    Airbnb Host Canceled Over Veteran’s Service Dog

    September 28, 2023

    While Boston couple Lauren Laliberte and Steve Bohn were busy preparing for their Cape Cod wedding, they were looking forward to celebrating alongside Bohn’s service dog — a yellow labrador named Orion. The plan was simple: They would make the trek from Boston to the Cape, and stay in an Airbnb the nights before and after […]

    Read more

    Make A QR Code With Your Dogs Picture & Link To Your Registration

    July 6, 2023

    Make A QR Code That Links To Your Dogs Registration Click Here It’s easy Click or Scan The Code & Add Your Dogs Photo Then Add Your Dogs Registration Link. Click Or Scan The Code

    Read more

    New Stainless Steel QR CODE Support Dog ID Cards

    March 25, 2023

                    Scan from anywhere at anytime. Simply scan and activate when you receive your card. This card links direct to your existing registration page on this site with showing the most the current letter  and ID and all your other Registration information. If you ever change your registration […]

    Read more

    Special Pricing For Service & Support Dog Kits

    November 30, 2022

    149.00+Shipping Click Here To View While Supplies Last!

    Read more

    Emotional Support Dogs Now In Schools

    October 29, 2022

    Pete, is there for students to feel supported in times of distress. THORNTON, Colo. — Westgate Community School is helping its students feel safe with a lending paw from a four-legged friend. The K-12 school in the Adams 12 school district added a facility dog named Pete to their school counseling team to help provide […]

    Read more

  • 0
      0
      Your Cart
      Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
        Calculate Shipping
        Apply Coupon