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Meet Penny

Penny is a caring and sweet 11-year-old who loves to cuddle.

She loves animals (especially horses and dogs). She has a highly active imagination and creates epic adventures for her favorite stuffed dogs Gizmo and Lucky.

Penny is just like other kids her age.

She loves Pokemon, Harry Potter, and building Lego. She loves learning about space (especially black holes) and about ocean life. Penny loves to play outside with her 5-year-old sister, drawing with chalk or swinging.

Penny has Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that causes significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) causes a child to have trouble with focus - while also hyper-focusing on topics of interest. Girls with ADHD may also deal with impulsivity; they can be hyper-talkative and verbally impulsive, interrupt others, talk excessively, or change topics repeatedly during conversations to topics of their interest. They might blurt out words without thinking about how they may impact others.

Penny is in her third year of homeschooling and loves that she can focus on her interests and take breaks as needed as she has trouble sitting still and focusing like her peers.

Homeschooling allows Penny to focus on her favorite topics on good days and take breaks or days off when needed. On days when typical school lessons aren't feasible, you'll find her watching shows about science or animals. Duct Tape Island is one of her favorite Mythbusters episodes!

Homeschooling also allows us to do everything we can as a family to help Penny feel her best without disrupting her schoolwork like therapy and chiropractic appointments, and hopefully OT in the new year.

Penny wears her heart on her sleeve and is extremely sensitive.

Her emotions are often swinging from one extreme to another, from happy to upset and back to happy or angry. Through her weekly therapy sessions, Penny works on recognizing not only her own emotions but how to "read" someone's body language to help her better understand those around her.

Instagram gave us hope.

One weekend while looking on Instagram for fellow ASD and ADHD families, we came across a family with a service dog for their daughter with autism.

This family was posting how their dog (Good Dog! Indy Jo) was helping their daughter, very close in age to Penny, with sensory needs and emotional balance.

After reaching out and asking several questions, we had our free information all with Laura, the co-founder of Good Dog! Service Canines. We learned about the application process and how a highly trained service dog could help Penny in her daily life.

It was an easy choice to decide that Good Dog! was a perfect organization to partner with after that.

How Can an Autism Service Dog Help Penny?

Penny LOVES dogs.

If Penny could cuddle with someone all day, especially a dog, she would!

We know from spending time with Grandma and Papa's dogs that they are a source of sensory input and a calming source of cuddles. Her emotions are more balanced, and she can focus on tasks that would otherwise prove difficult.

Why a service dog over a trained family pet?

Federally recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Penny’s autism service dog will be allowed access wherever she goes, including parks, doctor’s offices, restaurants, beaches, airports, etc.

Having her dog by her side, wherever she goes, will improve our entire family’s quality of life by reducing our stress, especially during family outings.

Some of the tasks an autism service dog may help with include:

Decreasing anxiety
Assisting with social interactions
Providing deep pressure support and tactile sensory input
Grounding support to calm emotional dysregulation
Encouraging responsibility and independence
Boosting self-confidence and feelings of empowerment
Improving her quality of sleep
Visually reminding others to be patient and kind
Being a non-judging, constant, and loyal friend

How Can I Help?

Your generosity directly impacts Penny’s quality of life!

Click the donation button to contribute to Penny's service dog fundraiser.

If you would like to waive the small credit card fees, you can also mail a check. Please note, donations received by mail are posted at the end of each month.

Please indicate “Penny Wright” in the memo portion and send to:

Good Dog! Service Canines
Re: A pup for Penny
855 South Main Avenue, Suite K-162
Fallbrook, California 92028

Remember to get your company's support as well! Your donation applies to many corporate matching programs.

Thank you for your support!

We are grateful for your kind gift to Penny's autism service dog fundraiser. We could not do this without your help. Please feel free to share our story and this fundraiser with your friends, family, and co-workers.

Thanks to your generosity and support, we are excited to see Penny's confidence bloom with a very special dog by her side!

Good Dog! Service Canines is dedicated to bringing the benefits of the human-canine relationship to children with disabilities and their families. Our highly skilled pups not only provide assistance and independence but also bring hope, joy, and laughter back into the lives of those who need it most.

We invest an average of $32,000 to raise, care and train each service dog as well as educate and support each family who receives them. Currently, we add 8-10 new teams to the Good Dog! Family each year, in addition to supporting our active Good Dog! Teams. That means we must raise up to $320,000 annually. To help us offset these expenses, families pledge to contribute at least $16,000 towards their $32,000 service dog program costs, qualifying for matching with a service dog when they reach $26,000 of their goal amount.

Caring for a disabled child can come with emotional and financial struggles, but we believe that shouldn't stop any family from having access to cover the costs of their service dog.

That's why we created the Good Dog! Scholarship Fund.

For families struggling to raise the remaining amount of their service dog programs, we're here to help. The Good Dog! Scholarship Fund offers financial aid once they've met their minimum pledge requirements.

With your support, we can provide life-changing service dogs to Good Dog! Families in need, at little or no cost. Let's work hand in paw to create a brighter future!

All gifts are received with the greatest of gratitude from us all.

About Good Dog! Service Canines

Good Dog! Autism Companions was founded in 2011 by the parents of an autistic boy. After getting a service dog for their son, they soon realized the life-changing benefits these dogs could provide to so many more. Today, Good Dog! Service Canines provides highly trained service dogs to children with disabilities and their families, helping them live better lives! Each dog is professionally trained using only positive reinforcement methods because we believe the true power of the human/canine bond is brought about through a loving, trusting relationship. Good Dog! Autism Companions, founded in 2011, has expanded its services to help more kids and families. We are now doing business as Good Dog! Service Canines. Thanks to all whose support let the love grow!

For more information, visit gooddogservicecanines.org.

A Pup for Penny

By GOOD DOG AUTISM COMPANIONS

A Pup for Penny

Team Members