This semester I joined 4 Paws for Ability. Part of the mission for 4 Paws is to “enrich the lives of children with disabilities by the training and placement of quality, task trained service dogs to provide increased independence for the children and assistance to their families.” I have a passion for this mission because of my previous experiences.
Dogs are an amazing animal that bring people so much joy simply by walking into a room. I love to help children with disabilities and have volunteered in the past in leading a yearlong service project at my high school with this. In this project, students went to the Ingles family’s home and helped to tutor and play with their 15 children, many of which were adopted and had disabilities. At their house, this family also had five dogs, and initially one would think that this would just make more work for the already seemingly full plate that the parents had. However, the parents said that each and every one of the dogs was such a blessing. Nico, Buddy, Lucy, Abby, and Maggie all made a huge difference in each of the child’s lives. The dog was a comfort. Each dog was someone that would always be there to talk to, play with, and to hug, even when one of the parents wasn’t available. I have a dog of my own, Pixie, and I know that this is true because she has been there for me just as much as, or more, that I have been there for her. Through my experiences I have been interested in pursuing a disability minor and working with children. I love dogs and they are amazing animals that can do so much to benefit people, even if it just by making them smile. I personally have seen the impact of having a dog in the home of a child with a disability and the results are amazing.
When helping children with disabilities, I think something can be learned from the animals that help them. Sometimes be simply being there the animals can give them so much comfort, and other times the animals take action. For example, some children that are diagnosed with Autism experience a great benefit from experiencing deep pressure, so at times their animal or dog will lay on top of them to calm them down.