In 2006, we donated a second puppy, the pick of the litter that arrived in late January. We held an auction [bidders were approved in advance] for the puppy and all proceeds went to Leo's training fund. Susy of Pennsylvania was the high bidder and chose "BrookHills Piper Angeni". Susy made a very generous contribution to the A.D.A.M. project to assist with the training expenses of Leo the Lion Hearted! Thank you Susy!!!!

Several of the other families that adopted Piper's littermates also made donations after reading about Adam and the auction of the puppy. A heartfelt thanks to all of you - Diana, Kate, Amie & Matt!

Adam's challenges don't stop there. Adam was later diagnosed with F.A.S (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and is microcephalic, A.D.H.D and suffers from mood and stress disorders that manifest themselves most strikingly as impairments in communication and in the formation of social relationships. Adam is a very loud extroverted hyper child one minute and a quiet, shy child the next. Other children don't understand Adam and he is often alienated from their playgroups. A Service Dog would give Adam the emotional support he needs to enter into small groups and would also identify Adam as special needs to adults and be a draw for other children to Adam.

Adam has a strong need for a structured, routine environment; change creates feelings of fear and/or anxiety resulting in serious behavioural changes including, at times, self-injury. Adam also has a heightened level of sensory input; at times resulting in sensory overload. When a room is full of bright light, many voices, and a cool breeze Adam may respond by bolting from the house, with or without clothes, regardless of the time of year or weather and if he is not caught in time, into the roadway. He sometimes hides within the house and does not respond to his name consistently, if he responds at all. He rarely understands the many dangers in his environment; an approaching car or a stranger with ill intentions. His parents say their greatest fear is centred on him being missing or turning away for a minute to find Adam darting out in front of a car. Due to Adams early debut into this world he will always have a very slight build, this is a good thing for his Service Dog who will be trained to Mom and Dads command for Adam to STOP. If Adam is heading into danger his Service Dog will use all his might to dig in and slow Adam's forward momentum until Mom or Dad can intervene. Should Adam wander off or hide, his Service Dog will also be trained in search and rescue and can greatly improve the chances of narrowing in on Adam's whereabouts within a safer period of time.

In times of stress Adam may express his frustration or fears and anxieties outwardly as we've mentioned or he may turn inwards to escape from outside stimuli, rocking and holding his head because his "brain hurts". A Service Dog would be trained to respond to Adam's emotional cues with a gentle nuzzle which is sometimes enough to reach Adam before he disappears into repetitive coping behaviours (which are often self injuring).

The world at large presents regular unpredictable surprises that Adam may not cope well with, as a result the family is limited to having one parent stay home and the other doing chores as opposed to enjoying outings like "regular families". This is very isolating, not only for Adam, but also for the entire family.

This dog can be Adam's guardian angle protecting him from danger and, be his "bestest buddy", loving Adam unconditionally and being his friend and emotional support in times of stress, giving him the confidence to venture into new situations and relationships.

A Service Dog for Adam will fill in for his disabilities and leave him better equipped to manage his many wonderful ABILITIES. This means a happier fuller life for Adam which may include school, friends, the park and, most importantly, his safety.

Adam has a lot of ABILITIES that could be better accessed if he had some help managing them. A specially trained Service Dog can be that help!

At present there are many successful pairings of children with Autism and specially trained service dogs. The dogs have helped these children in many of the same ways we described above as hopes for Adam. They are partnerships that work. However, Adam is not Autistic and therefore does not qualify for programs already in existence.

Adam and his family have graciously been donated a dog acceptable for service dog training. Now we have a boy and a dog. But this is a special boy, and he needs a special dog.

At present, Service Dogs are full grown and trained and then presented to a recipient who then utilizes the new "tool" within its range of expertise. The training required for Adam's new dog will require an innovative approach.

Adam will be paired with his puppy from day one and the training will be very interactive, with the family taking a lot of responsibility for the training themselves. A qualified trainer will work with the family for a full year, at which time the dog/child team will be tested and pending a passing grade, the dog will become certified, allowing him to attend Adam in all public venues. There is presently no other organization implementing this sort of program offering an extensive opportunity for a bonding partnership where both child and dog are trained in unison. With the anticipated success of this program there exists an opportunity to help many more young children better manage their abilities and be all that they are meant to be.

If you would like to help with Leo's training, please click here to contact Barbara McLeod, Adam's mother.

Thank you for making the choice to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!