Last Chance to Vote for Guiding Eyes in Running to Place Autism Dogs

Guiding Eyes for the Blind has a few more hours left to receive a $250,000 grant from Pepsi and it's up to people to click away and cast their votes.

"Heeling Autism" represents Guiding Eyes for The Blind's commitment to help a community of families in need. They now need your help too.

The program is in the running until Tuesday, August 31 to receive enough votes, place in the top two and win.

"Your voice will make a difference in the lives of countless children and families," Guiding Eyes for the Blind said. 

The program is currently in seventh place. Supporters can vote by going to www.refresheverything.com/autismdogsforchildren or cast their votes by texting 101731 to Pepsi (73774). 

Since 'Heeling Autism' started in 2008, 17 dogs have been placed with families with autistic children. Financial constraints keep the program from providing more service dogs to children in need. Guiding Eyes provides Heeling Autism at no charge to the families, including the dog, on-site training and extensive at home training. The approximate cost for one dog is $45,000.

Now, they're counting on donors, volunteers, staff and the public to vote daily. If the program wins, the money will be spent on three additional vans to facilitate transportation to and from training sites, an additional instructor to help train more caregivers, and 10 harnesses and vests for autism service dogs.

With enough clicks until voting closes, Guiding Eyes could place 10 more dogs with autistic children.

Michelle Brier, events and marketing manager for Guiding Eyes, said there are more than 6,000 children living with autism in Westchester, and the waiting list to receive a service dog is two years. 

"$250,000 would go a long way in helping us to serve those people that are on the waiting list," she said. 

'Heeling Autism' got its name after the first ever Guiding Eyes-Autism Service dog was given to the Zarro family of Ossining in 2008, and Tricia, the mother, said she wants the dog to heal her child.

The black Labrador, Shade, was given to her son Danny on March 28, 2008.

"Shade has given Danny the gift of celebrity, bringing him into social situations," Tricia Zarro said. "One day at the playground, a little boy said, 'There is that cool kid with the dog. Let's go play with him.'"

"Danny will not stray from his dog and Shade will not stray from him," she said. "This is absolutely a priceless gift."

Matt and Dorothy are a Heeling Autism team too. Matt's mother told Guiding Eyes for the Blind that, before Dorothy, her son was not the type of child that would roll on the floor or pet a dog. Now, every night Matthew would sit on the floor saying good night to 'Dodo.' A Heeling Autism's dog ability to evoke both physical and emotional bonding from an autistic child is just one outcome of this remarkable program.

Some reminders:

• Make sure your vote counts: after voting, does the "10" on the bottom left of your screen go down to "9"? Make sure that you click the "vote for this idea" button after you are signed in.
• Have you registered all of your family members' email addresses? You ca vote for at least 10 emails a day.

Pepsi is giving away $1.3 million a month to various causes.