POSTING FOR A FRIEND
####################################3
Hi Diane,
I’m writing to let you know that for the past several years I've been attempting to help a friend of mine in Arizona (referenced below as “Ms. Mary”) get some working but therapy-quality dogs. Last year I sent one dog to her, however, it wasn't what she was looking for and she returned it. This time I sent her two females and both had potential. One of the dogs,Sy, ended up working with a 12 year old girl named Samantha (“Sam”), who was recovering from an assault and rape at school. In the following months, with the dog at her side, Sam has made great progress and is going to go back to school in the Fall rather than being home-schooled as she has been since the assault. Sam was preparing to move to Louisiana from her home in Arizona and had returned her therapy dog to my friend in Arizona since her family couldn't afford to buy the dog. I couldn't justify breaking up the pair, so we had Sy spayed and gave her to Samantha. Another friend of mine offered to help with Sy's ongoing expenses, if needed. When 12 year-old Sam found out about this, she wrote the following letter to me.
*Hi,*
*This is Samantha. I am using Ms Mary's computer and email as I don't have my own email address any longer. I can't use any type of social media until the trials of the boys who hurt me are over. Thank you, THANK YOU for giving me Sy. She is wonderful and I promise to love her and take the best care of her I can. I met Ms Mary because she thought Sy was lost. I guess God was working overtime that day. I had never cared about dogs before and
had not really cared about anything for a long time. I sort of shocked myself when I asked to come and see her dogs, now I sort of live at her house. Ms Mary is like another grandmother to me and I am going to miss her like crazy when we move. My real Gran says sometimes we get lucky and get to add a special person to our family and that is what I think of Ms Mary and Mr. Rex. I wanted to tell you my thoughts about Sy and why I think we are friends. I know you know what happened to me and I am ok with that, now, but can't really talk about it to strangers. My doctor says that is ok and that someday I will be able to do that. When I met Sy and Cindy they had just come to Ms Mary's house. They were both sort of broken like me. Cindy was so shy and Sy was just a silly thing. She didn't mind very well
and she was stirring up trouble with Jefe and Cindy. But, she always wanted to sit with me and talk to me. She sort of chose me. I figured we were both broken. I have learned how to make Sy mind and we trust her now to not run away or dig out of the yard. Ms Mary has reminded her of her manners and how to listen the first time. She loves to sleep on my bed and cuddle with me in the night. She is really my best friend.*
*ms mary told me about your friend and her offer to give us some money if we needed it. My mom was not too happy about it at first, but Ms Mary explained it was from one BC** ** **lover to another and this offer was to help us with Sy expenses if we needed help. My mom has a pretty good job and we always have our needs, just not always our wants. When Ms Mary told us we might could have Sy I knew she would be expensive and she was a want and not a need, but you gave her to me and I will always be so thankful. My mom is ok with the offer now, but Ms Mary suggested we all watch a movie called Pay It Forward and it gave us an idea. Please thank the lady and let her know we can take good care of Sy and Ms Mary has told me she will give me a Jefe puppy in two years if I still want one. I know I will want one!!
Anyway we prayed ( I hope you are a Christian cuz I am) and thought and thought and we decided this. Tell the lady to buy one of yours or Ms Mary's puppies and you guys train it and get it ready for another kid who needs dog therapy. Dog therapy is something Ms Mary calls when the outside of a dog is real good for the inside of a person. Mr. Rex has been taking me to the Disability Resource Center at ASU and I have met a lot of people who are a lot worse off than I am. We took Jefe and Cindy there one day and people loved them. I don't know exactly how this could work, but I am getting better and once the trials are over and I can go back to my normal life again I am going to do everything I can to be as good a dog trainer as Ms Mary. Could you say thanks to her and it means a lot to have two ladies I don't even know try to help me. I will be fine and I just want to pass it forward because I know how much a dog has helped me..*
*I hope I have not made you mad or sad because of my answer but I just want someone else to have the blessings I had from Sy and Ms Mary. Once we get moved I will send some pictures. Thank you again for trusting me with Syand I promise I won't let you or Ms Mary down.*
Sam is one remarkable young lady. Several of us have gotten together and have been working to turn her request to “pay it forward” into reality by getting another pup trained. This is a new project in which I'm deeply interested and involved and I wanted to share it with you hoping you might be interested in donating your time, your money, or both.
Sam's request has evolved into "Sam's Wish Therapy Dogs" a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to identify, train and place therapy dogs with people in need of assistance but who are unable to afford it. We have letters of intent from Arizona State University's Disability Resource Center and the Pat Tillman Center committing to refer clients who could
benefit from the use of these dogs. ASU has agreed to begin the screening process and to have at least two qualified recipients available for a placement in approximately 15 months. They are working with many returning disabled veterans and they have requested that the program be expanded as quickly as possible. They would like to be able to place up to ten
certified therapy dogs a year into needy hands.
We currently have two young Border Collie pups showing the necessary disposition, intelligence, bidability and work ethic needed to succeed as therapy dogs. Now comes the intensive 12 to 18 months of training and testing to get them certified and ready for placement with those in need. It takes between $10,000 and up to $25,000, in some cases, with higher levels of training needed for certain clients, to produce a certified, trained therapy or assistance dog. If this is something you'd be interested in helping with, any and all tax deductible donations are welcomed and would be greatly appreciated. If you know of others who might be interested in helping "Sam's Wish" please pass this information along to them. If they would like additional information, they can contact Ms Mary at 480-299-0459 or by E-mail at samsdogwish@gmail.com
Sam's Wish Therapy Dogs
2354 S Revere Street
Mesa, AZ 85210
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, I wanted to let you know about this remarkable young lady and this very special project.
No comments:
Post a Comment