Animals for Autism to Place 10 Autism Service Dogs Free of Charge?

May 1, 2011 - PRLog -- Animals for Autism held an open application period throughout the month of April for a FREE highly-trained autism service animal.  The recipient for that program will be announced on May 15th.  

Just today, we received word that we are eligible to compete for a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Program!  This grant would allow us to place up to ten (10) autism service animals with families in need.  These are real families who have already been identified and are qualified to receive an autism service animal per the wishes of their physicians, schools and other professionals.

Among countless other benefits, autism service animals:

~Save lives by stopping wandering
~Increase opportunities for positive social interactions
~Redirect self-injurious behaviors
~Provide deep pressure therapy
~Improve the self-esteem of their handlers
~Teach responsibility
~Provide structure and routine
~Improve communication skills

Autism currently affects 1 in every 110 births - a number that continues to claim more and more children every year.  Of those with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) it is estimated that between 50 and 92% of them wander away from safety at some time.  Autism service animals provide a much needed safety net by blocking elopement attempts and alerting a care giver.

You can help us provide these much needed service animals by participating in the Pepsi Refresh Program voting period.  Today, and every day throughout the month of May, you can log on to http://www.refresheverything.com/animalsforautism and cast your votes for Animals for Autism.  Each person is allowed 5 votes per day.  They can't all be used for our program, but one can!

Receiving this award would allow us to train and place up to ten (10) autism service dogs with children and adults in desperate need of a service animal to keep them safe.  In the last couple of months alone, children in the US and around the world have lost their lives to autism related wandering.  YOU can help us, and we NEED your help.  Power votes are available on specially marked packages of Pepsi products, and you can cast even more votes for us with the power vote codes.

Please take action, vote and share this information and link with everyone you know.  Alone, Animals for Autism can help one person.  Together, we can increase our free autism service animal program ten-fold!  Be sure to share with families you know who are affected by autism, too.  Our ultimate goal is to help as many people as possible by providing FREE autism service animals.

Thank you in advance for your help!  You may just save a life today.  

http://www.refresheverything.com/animalsforautism

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Training and placement of Autism Service Animals with both adults and children with autism spectrum disorders in the United States.