Zachary & Bobby, A DogWish Success Story
DogWish Service Dogs Transforming Lives!

July 18, 2011
DogWish
8900 Arroyo Drive Colton, CA 92324

Dear Prospective DogWish Client,

My name is Tracy and I am a DogWish client. This letter is intended to give prospective families a deeper insight into what a service animal can provide to a child and family.

Our family came to DogWish in April 2011 seeking help for our 6 year old son. Our son Zachary has mild to moderate autism. In late December, our family was in crisis. Our son's autism symptoms had become unmanageable. Zachary's autistic outbursts were increasing in frequency and duration. His physical tics were also beginning to get in the way of his daily activities. His verbal skills were decreasing and eye contact was becoming increasingly difficult for him. Our high functioning child was slipping away before our eyes. The school district did not know what to do to provide services so they placed him on home school. By the end ofFebruary we were nearly completely isolated from the outside world. Our son could not venture into a store without having a complete meltdown. Lights, sounds and the sheer number of people overwhelmed him. It was in April that I contacted Bob Taylor at DogWish. Bob was a delight. He immediately understood all of the things we had been going through and assured us that he could help.

Our family met Bob Taylor and the DogWish staff on a cool April morning. As we sat and talked about what our family needed most he introduced us to several animals. Zachary looked at many of the animals but didn't pay much attention until he met Bobby. Bobby came home that evening with us and since that day our lives have been changed forever.

Over the next several months, our family has been at the training facility three times a week learning how to walk, talk, listen and work with Bobby. And as our needs have changed, Bob and the DogWish staff have been there to assist in training all of us to the new sets of skills to aide our son.

Bobby has been our saving grace. Since Bobby joined our family, my husband and I have noticed a marked decrease in the length and severity of Zachary's autistic outbursts/meltdowns. Instead of having 6 to 7 outbursts per day, we now see I or 2 outbursts per week. When Zachary does begin to display either physically or emotionally that he is becoming unsettled Bobby immediately alerts us that Zachary is becoming stressed and responds to Zachary with a calming presence allowing Zachary, in his heightened and irrational state, to be near and pet him. Bobby, at our direction, also applies paws or therapeutic weight on Zachary's lap or body to aid him in calming down during a meltdown.

Our family has also been able to resume a more normal life outside of our home. We have finally been able to take Zachary back into stores. Zachary used to become overwhelmed with even a small number of people in a space that we could not leave our home. Now when we go to the store Zachary focuses on Bobby and not the number of people in the store or the overwhelming stimuli surrounding him. Bobby presence has greatly decreased his anxiety and the responsibility of handling Bobby has helped to foster self-esteem in Zachary. People notice Bobby first, which decreases Zachary's anxiety ofbeing around a large gathering ofpeople, as he knows that their attention is directed at the dog and not him. This helps Zachary to stay calm as people approach.

Zachary still has difficult days, outbursts, and anxiety but it is now manageable and his tics have nearly disappeared. We have a tool to help, and the happy little boy who was slipping away from us has returned. This summer, Zachary rejoined his classmates for summer school and started swim lessons at the local pool. We have even had a family trip to Disneyland, with Bobby of course.

Embarking on this journey is not for the faint of heart.

It requires commitment and dedication, but the rewards are greater than one could ever imagine. As you can see, Bobby has been a gift to us. He has opened a world that we thought we had lost forever. I cannot say enough about what DogWish and Bob Taylor have done for our family.

Respectfully,
Tracy Avery