In Support of George & Benson Fund
WE DID IT!!
We initially set out to raise $20,000 for George to get a service dog named Benson. Within just a few months, we reached that goal and then some. For those of you wanting to continue in helping with the expenses of Benson: we will need to continue raising funds for:
- Roundtrip Airfare to Ohio
- Rental car to get to Xenia, Ohio (where the 4 Paws Training Facility is located)
- Lodging for the 10-day Training Academy we attend when we are placed with Benson
- Supplies, food and any other expenses that arise with Benson.
The road to FINALLY being paired with Benson is a long one. He/She needs to be bred, trained, raised, and then paired with George to help him by:
We initially set out to raise $20,000 for George to get a service dog named Benson. Within just a few months, we reached that goal and then some. For those of you wanting to continue in helping with the expenses of Benson: we will need to continue raising funds for:
- Roundtrip Airfare to Ohio
- Rental car to get to Xenia, Ohio (where the 4 Paws Training Facility is located)
- Lodging for the 10-day Training Academy we attend when we are placed with Benson
- Supplies, food and any other expenses that arise with Benson.
The road to FINALLY being paired with Benson is a long one. He/She needs to be bred, trained, raised, and then paired with George to help him by:
- Apply deep pressure to George who has very strong sensory needs and proprioception
- Intervene in behaviors that are repetitive or dangerous that George some times engages in (banging head, etc.)
- Provide a sense of independence because George is an eloper (runs away when not being held or in a stroller). George is fast and has made it out the front door just as someone was walking through it. He has no sense of danger and is drawn specifically to water. Benson will be trained to be tethered to George, to stand guard at the door if he attempts to run and even (Heaven forbid), trained to seek and find George by scent should he get out of the house or even into another aisle of a store, for example.
- Will be able to provide comfort and "nuzzling" when George is stuck in a loop and, as we call it, "going into the red." This can be caused by almost anything (a number, a sound, a color, etc.) and Benson will intervene before he gets the opportunity to harm himself.
- Will be a best friend to run around with (since George has ALL the energy in the world) and someone who protects him when he is most vulnerable. At the same time, Benson is getting one of the most loyal and loving humans to ever exist.
George is going to be 4 years old in January. And the list of supplements, medical bills, therapies, special foods and treatments that he receives are A LOT for a single working mom. The process to get Benson takes up to 2 years sometimes (it all depends on how quickly things move). So saving for the trip, for the transportation and the added expenses is important so that we have time to put this money aside for the sole purpose of supporting our mission of Operation: Bringing Benson Home.
The funds raised on through this page will directly benefit George and Benson. The account the money is being donated into is an account allocated for George's Support Dog Expenses.
For holidays and birthdays we will be asking for donations to this page because Operation: Bringing Benson Home is so important and something we want to be able to save enough money to do.
We reached the $20,000 goal to be accepted for a service dog. Now, we transition to the next step--Operation: Bringing Benson Home.
We have a Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/operationbringbensonhome/) where we will share stories about George, milestones in his treatment, videos that show just how amazing he truly is and take you along on this adventure of a little boy gaining independence and a best friend all in one Labrador retriever named Benson.
If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me (Kristen, his mama) or my personal right hand support, my sister Janet (lovingly referred to by George as "Mama J.") I know many of you have asked what exactly does George have/has been diagnosed with? The list is long and I do everything in my power to ensure he has the medical care, therapeutical care, and all other forms of support to overcome what is able to be overcome and to learn to live comfortably with what is forever with him.
The funds raised on through this page will directly benefit George and Benson. The account the money is being donated into is an account allocated for George's Support Dog Expenses.
For holidays and birthdays we will be asking for donations to this page because Operation: Bringing Benson Home is so important and something we want to be able to save enough money to do.
We reached the $20,000 goal to be accepted for a service dog. Now, we transition to the next step--Operation: Bringing Benson Home.
We have a Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/operationbringbensonhome/) where we will share stories about George, milestones in his treatment, videos that show just how amazing he truly is and take you along on this adventure of a little boy gaining independence and a best friend all in one Labrador retriever named Benson.
If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me (Kristen, his mama) or my personal right hand support, my sister Janet (lovingly referred to by George as "Mama J.") I know many of you have asked what exactly does George have/has been diagnosed with? The list is long and I do everything in my power to ensure he has the medical care, therapeutical care, and all other forms of support to overcome what is able to be overcome and to learn to live comfortably with what is forever with him.
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Autism (ASD)
- This includes eloping, hyperfocus and fixation on numbers/letters, scripting, "escaping" to a different world that we can't be a part of but can witness him in, inability to process emotions or regulate them, hypersensitivity to certain sounds, colors, words (anything) that originate out of nowhere (there will be days when you actually can't say the number 5 for example), need for constant proprioception and sensory input (this includes mouthing/chewing)
- George can read at a second grade level but he can't drink from a cup. He can identify patterns you didn't even know existed, but he can't be properly potty-trained. He can name every color and the percentage of RBG within it, but he can't be left alone in a room for more than a few seconds because he is drawn to doing things that will harm him (chewing cords, wrapping things around his neck, eating tubes of toothpaste, etc.)
-
ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity)
- Has no sense of danger
- Has no sense of fear
- Does not feel pain (water too hot? too cold? He won't tell you...)
-
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- This includes aggression/self harm
- Rumination
- Rigidity in Routine
- Inability to Transition
- Mitochondrial Disease
- Sleep Disturbance/Inability to sleep for long periods
- Immune System Disorder
- ARFID (along with multiple food allergies)
That's a lot to process. I know. And the medical bills are substantial and the therapy bills high. But I will do whatever I can to ensure he has the best chance at "normal" that I can possibly give him.
We truly can't thank you enough for the support that you have shown George in his pursuit to get Benson. Every donation helps in allowing us to have a fund dedicated solely for the purpose of Operation: Bring Benson Home and not dipping into the already tight funds we have for groceries, living expenses, medical/dental bills and equipment needed to help him in various therapies.
We know we are beyond blessed and humbled at the love, support, compassion and empathy that you have shown my sweet boy. I am excited to share this journey with y'all and can't wait until Operation: Bring Benson Home comes to be.
Forever grateful and blessed,
Kristen (and George)
Please note: The original donation page for donating to 4 Paws for Ability is here. While we are no longer raising money on this site, it does have information about George's journey and you can take a look back at past donations and sweet messages.
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- Created Oct 05, 2026
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