Since about December Claudia has been hoping and wishing for a companion dog. She thinks about all the details, draws pictures of her helper dog, and role plays with Eloise (not a far cry). She really wants a helper dog! Her plan is to have the dog open and hold doors for her, to pick up objects that she has dropped, to turn light switches on, and to help her peers see past the wheelchair.
The biggest hiccup that we have is that Claudia and Matt are allergic to dogs. Not to worry, Claudia has a plan for that too. It certainly helps to have some of your father's colleagues in the field of allergy shots. She has cornered several physicians about getting her started on the shots to help with these pesky allergies. And Matt as well, is willing to get the shots.
So our other hurdle is finding a dog... for that we have been applying and e-mailing contacts around the area. It's not just a simple application, you need medical information, personal references, autobiography, etc.
The process is expected to take one to two years. So we'll apply and wait.
In the meantime, I wanted to mention that there is a very special TV show on TONIGHT. PBS is doing a special about service/companion dogs. Check your local listings!!
