Family Raising Money for Autistic Son's Service Dog

Every kid wants a puppy — it's a universal fact.

In the case of Harrison Crowell, however, it could be a matter of life and death.

Harrison is a 7-year-old student at Tenth Street Elementary with autism, and having a specially-trained canine could improve his day-to-day activities, provide companionship and even save his life.

His mother, Karen Crowell, Oakmont Library's children's librarian, jumped at the opportunity to improve her son's life when she found out about "Perfect Fit Canines" but couldn't afford the $18,000 price tag.

Cost varies dramatically based on each individual case depending on the child's special needs, according to executive director Susan Wagner, and the training required in Harrison's case would be extensive.

Crowell is hoping that donations will help the family buy a service dog who would be almost like an extra parent by helping Harrison with daily activities and keeping him safe.

She first heard about the program through Harrison's behavioral specialist and met with program coordinator Jim Wagner, who said that Harrison might find a good match with Sebastian, an English Labrador puppy.

The pair hit it off the first time they met, Crowell says.

"Harrison fell in love with Sebastian immediately."

Harrison is prone to dangerous situations, Crowell says, and a service dog would be able to help keep him safe.

"He's too trusting of strangers," she says. A service dog would be able to physically hold Harrison back from leaving and alert Crowell or her husband, Ric Demasi, by barking.

Harrison also doesn't sleep, Crowell says, and a canine helper would be able to keep him from wandering aimlessly throughout the night.

Her first-grader is smart, but absent-minded, and having an extra pair of eyes would be an enormous relief, Crowell says.

When the family goes shopping at Target, Harrison often wanders off in the split second in which his mother isn't looking.

"He has every aisle memorized where the toys are, and he just leaves," she says.

A dog like Sebastian would also keep Harrison from walking into roadways or bodies of water.

The bodies-of-water training is one of the more challenging ones, Susan Wagner says.

"It's a big thing to train a dog to do," she says.

The day the family first met Sebastian, Harrison was nearly hit by a truck, Crowell says.

"I just have a feeling that he's going to save his life someday."

The service dog would be welcome anywhere a seeing-eye dog is allowed and would eventually allow Harrison a certain amount of independence, she says.

Harrison also has an extremely rare chromosomal abnormality and a lot of medical problems, causing the need for hospital visits about every two weeks.

He is scheduled to undergo a weekend's worth of tests in early April for seizures and other problems, but Crowell plans to surprise him with a special visit from Sebastian to get him through it.

Harrison's behavior even morphs into tip-top shape on days he knows he's going to see his favorite pooch.

Harrison's 10-year-old sister, Kalen, also would benefit from from Sebastian's presence, Crowell says.

Kalen, too, is on the autism spectrum as well as being selectively mute. She's a Sebastian fan, though, and often draws pictures of him, Crowell says.

"A dog can reach kids sometimes where humans can't," she says. "It's something with their unconditional love."

The family is used to "living in a fishbowl" with so many specialists, social workers and therapists in and out — along with two cats and a teenager, Crowell says.

A bodyguard dog would be unconventional but fit right in.

"We're strange," Crowell says, "But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

There's no doubt that Sebastian is a perfect fit, but Crowell and her family are struggling to make their first payment of $1,800 for Sebastian by mid-April.

Crowell and Demasi are busy applying for every grant form they can get their hands on while hoping for help from local organizations.

"I know Sebastian would be a positive focus for our family," Crowell says. "Harrison would gain independence in the long run, and Sebastian could possibly save his life someday."

Organizations or individuals interesting in making a donation can contact Jim or Susan Wagner at Perfect Fit Canines by emailing perfectfitcanines@verizon.net or calling 412-359-9789.