“Avery has made a world of difference for David.” Now over a year later, Adriana and John are celebrating the impact a service dog made in their lives, and for their son, David.
“Before getting Avery, David struggled with needing some sensory input, he has mobility issues, and deals with a lot that can cause him anxiety,” Adriana said. “We heard about 4 Paws from another family and we knew it would be perfect for David. We also loved the fact that the dogs were trained to work with kids but have the parent be in control of it all.”
After going through the fundraising process, and waiting for their match, David was paired with Avery: the perfect team. “The 4 Paws magic is worth it all! I don’t know how, but they place the perfect dog with the child, the magic we saw with all the families in training class with us and seeing the magic with Avery and David is just amazing and made all the work worth it,” Adriana said.
In his day-to-day career, Avery joins David in his classroom where teachers say his presence alone improves David’s focus and provides the comfort he needs on bad days, and the good days too.
“Avery helps with stuff David drops, but, boys being silly and it being a favorite task of Avery’s, it turns more into a game of fetch and the giggles are worth it,” said Adriana. “We even noticed a huge difference when we brought Avery along for small procedures. Before, David would freak out, but the first time we brought Avery he got right up on the bed with David, snuggled in and David was very calm and happy.”
Today, the team continues to blaze new trails and march forward, together. “The strength David has gained is amazing, it put a whole new drive in David to work on walking. We are excited to see the added independence Avery will bring for David.”