Coloring for Miracles - Autism Dogs for a Cause

During National Autism Awareness Month, the autism community takes strides in celebrating and educating the general public about invisible illness. As Autism Service Dog providers, SDWR is proud to be involved in the autism community. We meet countless families who live with a loved one on the spectrum. Again and again, we’ve seen our service dogs make a difference in the lives of these families.

Coloring for Miracles

In light of National Autism Awareness Month April 2015, we are embracing our commitment to raise awareness. We want to make a life-changing impact towards the families who have been looking for an autism service dog for children. Through our campaign Coloring for Miracles, individuals are given a chance at receiving a $10,000 grant towards an SDWR autism dog for kids.

Our campaign doesn’t stop there. We want you and your loved one to be involved. To enter, you will choose from a selection of five coloring pages - you and your child will work together to color this page and let us know how a service dog will change your life. Once you submit your coloring page to SDWR, our staff will choose a winner for each of the five coloring pages.

Why Service Dogs for Autism?

Autism dogs change the way Autistic children live with their invisible illness. From preventing outbreaks, self-harm, and elopement, autism dogs protect a child’s physical health. Through their overall calming effect, service dogs can help improve sleep patterns, improve reading skill sets, and increase social interaction. They provide a physical and emotional difference in the life of an individual on the spectrum. Autism caretakers often feel a burnout from never-ending care and worry for their loved one. With an autism dog aiding in protection and sensory care, it is easier to find peace.

Reach Out to SDWR

To stay updated about our Coloring for Miracles campaign, follow us on Facebook for announcements and submissions from Autism families across North America and beyond. If you have questions about our Autism Awareness month campaign or want to learn more about service dogs for Autistic children please contact SDWR today.

An SDWR Review: Service Dogs for Seizures

With a Seizure Response Dog, the worries of seizure disorder lessen as you know you have a protector for you or your loved one. At SDWR, we have seen service dogs for seizures change lives. Our seizure dog training trains dogs to care for their handler after a seizure, including activating a life-alert system, getting help during or after a seizure and keeping their handler protected in public in the case of a seizure. In a world that is not always informed about the dangers and effects of seizure disorder, seizure dogs and epilepsy seizure dogs play an important role. In today’s blog post, we want to introduce you to an SDWR family who found help for their daughter’s seizure disorder in a life-changing way:

“Jerzy has been an amazing addition to our family. He arrived to our house in May for our daughter who has a seizure disorder and is non-verbal. Jerzy and our daughter have become such sweet and wonderful friends. They attend school together on a daily basis and he even rides the bus. They go to adaptive horseback riding, swimming and biking lessons together and he enjoys watching over her from the side lines. Jerzy has done a wonderful job at responding to her seizures...and does a great job at comforting her after the seizure. Everyone at SDWR has been amazing. The trainers worked great with us and we're always so patient and helpful.Thank you!!” -SDWR Family

From here, we can see that service dogs for seizures are more than just that. They are a best friend and a companion for those with invisible illness and their families. They play a crucial role in protecting their handlers from the danger that presents itself on a daily basis. When you feel protected against the harms of seizure disorder, life is more manageable. You and your loved ones are more able to enjoy a better quality of life without the fear of what might happen next.  

This is only one example of a family who found comfort through a Seizure Response Dog. There are families all across North America and beyond who turn to Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers for answers to the fear they face through invisible illness. To find more SDWR reviews, visit our SDWR testimonials page.

If you or a loved one are interested in learning about service dogs for seizures, please contact Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers today.

SDWR's Therapy Dogs Never Stop Giving

A service dog for invisible illness will always be there to care for you or your loved one. A service dog’s gift lies not only in their ability to keep owners safe, but also to be dependable and reliable as a caretaker and as a friend. At Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, we can proudly say that our dogs never stop giving their special gift. Read to learn how and why a therapy dog will always be there for you.

Therapy Dogs Will Always Protect You

Service dogs are there to protect you from any harm that an invisible illness presents. For example, a Diabetic Alert Dog will alert for high and low blood sugars, so that their owner can take action and prevent side-effects from occurring. Autism dogs keep children on the spectrum from harming themselves and eloping. A seizure dog can protect his or her handler post-seizure by guarding them in public and obtaining help. These are just a few examples of how therapy dogs can keep you protected. They are trained to always be there for you in the case you may be presented with harm.

They Care for Your Invisible Illness

Therapy dogs are trained to understand the complications of an invisible illness. From the time they are selected as pups to be a part of our service dog training program until the time they are placed in your home, service dogs for kids and adults are taught to understand your specific illness and attend to it as needed. As long as you have a service dog by your side, you will know there is someone there to care for your invisible illness.

Therapy Dogs Make the Greatest Companions

When our clients invest in a service dog, they are surprised to find that their service dog ends up being more than just a service dog - he or she becomes a loyal and trustworthy friend. Yes, a therapy dog will first and foremost be a protector and a guardian for your or your loved one’s health. But they will also become a close friend and a family member. At SDWR, we choose Labrador Retrievers because they are the best breeds of service dog for kids and adults. Their compassionate and intelligent nature truly makes them the greatest companions.

If you or a loved one are in need of a service dog, please contact SDWR today.

An Update from Our Service Dog Grant Winner

At Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, our mission is to provide those with invisible illness a safer, fuller life. Every year, we offer a service dog grant to select winners to help cover the cost of a service dog. One of our 2014 winners is Jeannie Davide-Rivera. Jeannie is a respected author in the field of autism spectrum. She herself lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, while caring for her four sons on the autism spectrum. In her recent blog post (which you can find here) she gives us a recap of all the ways her service dog for autism has helped her and her child. With only a few months of training under his belt, learn how much of a difference their Autism Service Dog Rocky has made in the life of a child with invisible illness.

Creating a Calming Effect in the Most Difficult Scenarios

If you are a caretaker or a loved one with autism, you know that tantrums are the absolute norm, and that others who do not understand spectrum disorder may not receive this well. You yourself most likely struggle with tantrums in every scenario that makes your loved one uncomfortable. Before Rocky, Jeannie mentions that her son would have a meltdown going to and from places. Leaving the house was a struggle, as was leaving any other location they would visit. With Rocky by their side, Jeannie’s son now keeps calm, 

“Leaving the house for any reason was always a fight, now when the Tot sees me dress Rocky (put his service vest on) he jumps up and wants to put his boots on to leave…”

Here’s another great example Jeannie provides of how a service dog for autism can be used as a tool to stay calm and collected, 

“A meltdown begins if the request is not met with supernatural instantaneous results. This is where Rocky came in—we began (at the trainers direction) to redirect the Tot to Rocky and practice petting him ten times while he waits for whatever is is he is needing at the time. This has worked so well…”

Not only can Jeannie find relief in the structure that assistance dogs for autism provide, her son can also live a more normal life through fewer outbreaks and a companion at his side. At SDWR, we are happy to hear Rocky has made a difference. Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers want to help families just like Jeannie’s. If you are looking for more information about assistance dogs for autism, please contact SDWR today.