I’ve never done this before, but after “SUN This Week” published an article about our quest to raise funds, I thought I would share the article. Pierce, my 14-year-old youngest son is Autistic (shown above on the right) and we are trying to raise funds for a service dog to make his life better. Here’s the article…

Merlin, come home.

Shelley Beaumont and her 14-year-old son, Pierce, are raising funds to bring a 9-month-old labradoodle from North Carolina to their home in Apple Valley. Although the dog has never been to Minnesota and they’ve only met him once, the Beaumont’s already consider him part of their family, and they are determined to find a way to bring him home.

Merlin is currently training to be Pierce’s service dog. Pierce is a middle school student with autism. Sometimes he experiences intense feelings of anxiety, anger, and negativity that make it difficult to navigate his world.

Pierce’s family has been working with an organization called Assistance Dogs for Autism to provide him with a companion who will physically and figuratively walk alongside him as challenges come his way.

Merlin will assist Pierce in five main areas.

Merlin will be trained to help Pierce calm down during a meltdown by laying on top of him. He’ll sleep with Pierce to provide the sense of safety and security Pierce needs to get a good night’s sleep. Merlin will help Pierce disrupt negative self-behaviors, and he will help Pierce develop better social skills. The dog’s fluffy fur will also offer sensory relief.

“Merlin’s job will be to keep Pierce safe,” Shelley said. “Safe from himself when he is having problems controlling his anger, safe from picking at his skin so much he bleeds and safe when he sleeps in his own bed.”

Shelley said she had searched for options in Minnesota, but Pierce is too old for most of the service dog adoption programs. She found ADA, a division of Highland Canine Training LLC, located in Harmony, N.C.

“I was shocked at how difficult the application process is,” she said.

She had to complete a pre-application, proving her son’s disabilities, before filling out the formal application.

Videos of Pierce’s behaviors, three references, a note from Pierce’s doctor, notice from a vet and a family agreement were just a few of the required documents during the application process. The Beaumont family began searching for a service dog in June 2015, and it wasn’t until February 2017 that they were put on the waitlist.

In March 2017, Shelley and Pierce traveled to North Carolina to meet with people from the organization and introduce Pierce to a few dogs. Pierce had originally thought he wanted a golden retriever, but he became interested in poodles during the visit.

In January of this year, the organization notified the family they’d found a match — a large labradoodle, named Merlin after Pierce’s love for magic.

Shelley and Pierce drove to North Carolina again, this time bringing along Pierce’s sister Karly, to meet Merlin and see if he and Pierce would hit it off. The two bonded instantly, Shelley said.

Pierce is already getting excited about his new, furry friend.

“I want a dog to play with it and have fun,” he said. “I want Merlin to join my family because it would be lovely and he is a cute dog.”

He’s preparing to give Merlin the best care possible.

“I will take care of him by loving him, feed him, give him water, give him baths, take him on walks and runs to keep him healthy,” he said.

The price for the dog, including training, food and board, vet fees and grooming, comes in around $16,000. Transportation and lodging for the Beaumont family to visit the dog in North Carolina during the approval process, and to bring Merlin and two handlers to Minnesota, totals more than $4,000.

“People are really surprised when they find out how expensive a service dog is. People wonder, ‘Why don’t you just get a shelter animal?’ ” Beaumont said.

“It just doesn’t work that way. The training is very intensive, it’s very individualized, it’s very specific and it’s very important that service dogs are socialized because they are going to be out in society, working.”

At press time, the Beaumont family had raised $9,150 of their $20,000 goal.

“I’ve tapped out friends and family. I’ve sent out letters to all the chamber of commerce members, and I have some feelers out to other organizations,” Beaumont said.

If they don’t raise the funds by the time the dog is ready, likely between July and August this summer, Beaumont fears she will have to forfeit the dog and all of the money they’ve poured into it.

“That is the most frustrating piece of this: there aren’t really agencies or funds to tap into that can donate for service dogs,” she said. “Some agencies in Minnesota provide free dogs, but they either have an age limit, and Pierce is too old, or they have a waiting list that can take up to five years to get the dog.”

It’s important for Beaumont that they get the dog sooner rather than later, as she hopes it will help her son transition from middle school to high school, and from high school into adult life. The family hopes to get the dog before Pierce’s 15th birthday, on Aug. 12, as Merlin will need to be at home with them for about a month before they can actually put him into school with Pierce.

Beaumont hopes the dog will make the transition easier, as it will give Pierce a feeling of safety and security.

“As Pierce transitions out of high school, Merlin will also always be on guard for Pierce,” Beaumont said. “He is a vulnerable child and will be a vulnerable adult due to his disabilities, so Merlin will also be able to alert him to danger.”

Just as important, Merlin will help Pierce become more independent.

“I’m worried about his quality of life as he becomes an adult, and I think the dog will be integral to helping Pierce navigate everything moving forward,” she said.

“I see Pierce being able to work, earn his own income, and feel secure and safe in a job where he can contribute to society and support himself. The dog is going to be a part of that. Merlin and Pierce are going to be a team.”

To learn more about Assistance Dogs for Autism, visit www.autismassistancedog.com.

To make a donation for Pierce’s fundraising campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/merlincomehome.

Contact Amy Mihelich at amy.mihelich@ecm-inc.com.

https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/community/apple_valley/dreaming-of-dog-days/article_af6506da-2d48-11e8-a074-276c5aff9889.html