Xenia, OH, US
When Karen Shirk was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disease which confines her to a wheelchair and requires that she use a respirator, she decided to get a service dog to regain some of her independence. She was dismayed to discover that, over and over again, she was denied the opportunity to do so because she was "too disabled." Eventually, Shirk decided to start from scratch. With the help of a professional trainer, she adopted and trained Ben, a black German Shepherd puppy, to become her service dog. With Ben in her life, she found some hope. According to Karen, "He gave me a reason to get up in the morning. . . I went from existing to living."
Wanting to spread the joy to other individuals deemed too disabled for service dogs, Shirk decided to start 4 Paws for Ability, a service dog program with no limitations. Knowing that many other service dog providers have age limits on who can apply, Shirk reached out particularly to disabled children. She specializes in providing dogs to children with autism. "I knew [autistic children] connected to animals," she says. "I knew that service dogs would be able to help." Over the years, about 70% of Shirk's specially trained dogs are united with autistic children.
Each adoptive family is responsible for raising about 12,000$, and the time it takes to train a dog ranges from nine to 18 months. It seems to be worth it all in the end, however, to bring home a service dog who's been trained for your specific needs. Seeing the children meeting their dogs for the first time is the best part of the program for Shirk, who says "I love to see their faces and know that I was a part of that. It makes me feel good."
To read more, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/07/16/heroes.shirk/index.html
Friday, July 18, 2008
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