Alexander is a 3-year-old boy who lives in Lewis Center, Ohio with his mother, Natalya. He has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to navigating life with Alexander’s diagnosis, his family has been impacted by the hardships in Ukraine and need your help!
He is a kind and playful boy who loves books and numbers. Alexander can get overwhelmed and scared in loud crowds. His service dog will be trained in behavior disruption to help redirect and calm Alexander when needed. In addition to this, Alexander has a tendency to wander away from his mother while out in public. In order to prevent this from happening, Alexander’s service dog will be trained in tethering. Alexander will wear a belt that connects to his dog, to serve as an anchor. This will allow Alexander’s hands to be free, while also keeping him safe. In the case that Alexander does get away from his mother, his service dog will be able to track him down by his scent. His mother hopes that his dog will act as a social bridge and be his best friend.Alexander will be receiving a service dog through 4 Paws for Ability. On average, it costs $50,000 to breed, train, and place a service dog. Alexander’s mother is raising $17,000 to contribute to that total cost. With her family being in Ukraine, it has been a challenge to focus her efforts on raising the $17,000 fee for service. The family appreciates any and all donations.