Annual autism fundraiser to be held online
‘Vital’ support dog program has benefited from national walk, run and bike event for past 34 years
Boma is Nate Rosenczweig-Stevens’ best buddy.
When Nate reads a book or uses an iPad, he positions himself so his head is on Boma’s belly. When dinner time arrives, Nate has learned how to feed Boma. At night, Boma sleeps with Nate on his bed.
Boma’s constant presence is important for Nate. The seven-year-old has a non-verbal form of autism. As an autism assistance dog trained by the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, Boma helps Nate connect to the world around him.
Later this month, the foundation is holding its major national event to raise money to pay for its assistance dog programs.
Nate has no sense of personal safety, said his mother Rebecca Stevens.
When Nate is in public, he can run into traffic in a flash and lie down in a crosswalk. Going for a walk meant strapping Nate into a stroller for his own safety.
But Boma has made a big difference since the Labrador-golden retriever cross came into the life of the Rosenczweig-Stevens family in 2018.
Now, Nate wears a belt attached to a safety line connected to Boma’s harness and holds onto a handle also attached to the harness. Rebecca walks with the leash on the left, the dog in the middle, and Nate on the right.
If Nate drops the handle or Boma feels the safety line tightening to indicate Nate might be about to bolt, he drops down to the ground to anchor Nate in place.
“We wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the things that we do now as a family without Boma,” Rebecca said.
Adding to the challenge for the family is that Nate has a younger brother who also has autism.
“The big change since getting Boma is Nate’s safety,” she said. “We just can’t imagine a lot of the things that typical families would be able to do when we have two kids with autism without Boma around.”
Boma is one of about 450 autism assistance dogs trained by Dog Guides since 2009, said Sarah Clarke, an instructor and trainer.
It costs about $25,000 to breed, train and place an assistance dog like Boma. They are all placed with families free of charge.
“Our main priority for training autism assistance dogs is safety,” she said from Mount Hope, Ont.
Many of the children with dogs are like Nate, and don’t have a sense of how to protect their personal safety in public. Clarke, who trained Boma, said it takes about six months to train a dog, which is done in groups of six to 10.
All dogs are trained at the Dog Guides’ two facilities in Ontario.
Dog Guides benefit from an annual event called the Pet Value Walk for Dog Guides, which last year raised $1.3 million for the organization.
This year for the first time, the event is going online because of COVID-19. The Pet Value Virtual Walk for Dog Guides takes place Sunday, May 31.
“The walk has been going for 34 years,” Clarke said.
“It has been a vital national fundraiser. We’re encouraging people to walk, dance, run, bike, use the stairs, jump on the trampoline, or do anything physical indoors or outdoors to promote the foundation’s mission and raise funds.”