• We started fundraising in June 2008 by sending out about 100 letters to family, friends and community members explaining all about 4 Paws for Ability and why we thought an autism service dog would help Will.
• On June 26, some friends held a HUGE garage sale with all proceeds going to Will's fundraising goals. Many people gave me items to take to the sale and many others anonymously dropped off boxes filled with wonderful items for the sale. We had a great turnout of buyers, many of whom insisted on paying above the asking prices on the items and others who gave generous donations. We raised more than $1,300 that day!
• I sent out press releases to several local newspapers and our story was featured in the Morris County Daily Record Online, the Warren Reporter, the Flanders online news blog and the New Jersey Star-Ledger (circulation 300,000!)
• Meanwhile, so many generous family and friends responded to our letters and the donation poured into 4 Paws!
• After about a month of fundraising, our total was about $3,500. On July 27, we learned our new total was $9,278, and then on Sept. 4 we got the news that we had managed to raise a whooping $15,810!!!!!! This came as a wonderful surprise because after receiving a portable dvd player for his birthday, Will began to wander more than he ever had before. Because of your generosity, we were able to request that Will's dog also be trained in search and rescue in case he ever wanders so far that we can't find him. Will's growing independence is a great thing, but creates more worries for us. I'm relieved that the dog will be another set of eyes looking out for his safety. Any extra funds that we raise will benefit another child's fundraising goals.
• I finally finished our "Getting to Know Will" video that 4 Paws will use to match Will with the best dog for him. 4 Paws trains new classes of dogs continually throughout the year so that they have a wide pool of canine companions to choose from as the children reach their fundraising goals and are assigned to a training class. (Yes, the humans have to go through training of their own -- two weeks of it with a big exam at the end!) Generally, a child receives a letter and a photo of their dog about 3 weeks before the training class starts.
• If you want to get a peek at the dogs who are currently in training, visit www.4pawsdogs.org. Click on the "In Training" link - Will's future partner is almost assuredly on there right now! There is also an "Adopt Us" link -- if you are in the market for a new family member, check it out! Almost all of the dogs have basic or advanced obedience training, but are not cut out to be service dogs for some reason. For example, some dogs are nervous out in a crowded public place and others are too distractable around other animals.
• We will be attending class from April 27 to May 8. So far, I'm mentally preparing everything for the two weeks we'll be spending in Xenia, Ohio. We've been trying to figure out vacation days for Bill and my mom; where we'll eat (Will is somewhat picky and generally does not like restaurants); where Max should stay during the training. The list goes on and on...
• We've been getting to know the other families in our class via Facebook. They seem like a great bunch with wonderful senses of humor. Some families in our class are coming from as far away as Australia and Alaska!
• Well, we've finished our second day of training and it's more wonderful than we even imagined. DD is an amazing dog who is so eager to perform. She's wonderful to work with and we couldn't be more pleased.
• If you haven't guessed, we've abandoned the name, "Bo," for a couple reasons: 1st, she's a girl - not a Beauregard at all! Second, she's slightly older than the other dogs in the class. She's about 2 1/2 years old and has been called DD since she was a pup. So, it would be very difficult for her to understand a name change at this point. Third, she just looks like a DD!
• We found out a little of DD's history today: she was donated by a German Shepherd breeder from Akron, Ohio, as a puppy. This same breeder has donated several other puppies to 4 Paws who are now successful service dogs with other children. DD was the only pup from her litter to come to 4 Paws. And we're so thankful she was the one chosen for such a special job!
• Tomorrow (Wed.) will be our first day of tracking training. There's a 70 percent chance of rain, but we're looking forward to it anyway! Can't wait to see DD strut more of her "stuff"! This is one smart dog!
• DD's favorite thing in the world is fetching a ball. She's always up for a game of fetch and I know Will is going to love this. Bill's hoping she'll enjoy catching frisbee too. She's a strong chewer and has already "killed" the squeakers inside all of her new tennis balls that we brought for her. We stopped by PetSmart today and I got her a hard rubber Kong ball. It was a big hit and Will even played with it too. No squeaker, but at least it will last longer than a few hours!
• Well, I'm beat. I'll try to update every day, so stay tuned! I tried to upload some new photos tonight, but they're enormous. Maybe after a good night's rest, I'll figure out how to shrink them!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed, prayed and encouraged us during this exciting journey! If you have friends who might benefit from getting a service dog of their own, please pass on our e-mail address and 4 Paws' website info!

Love,

Bill and Roberta Polak