A Service Dog for Brooke

My name is Susan Sollaccio and my husband John and I are attempting to raise $20,000 to bring home Dakota, a Trained Service Dog, for our 9-year-old daughter Brooke.

Brooke was diagnosed with Autism before the age of two. She also suffers from Pica, a disorder characterized by compulsive eating of things that aren’t food, which can be dangerous. Brooke also suffers from Separation Anxiety, as well as ADHD and Depression. Perhaps most concerning, Brooke struggles with understanding and accepting friendship and love.

Brooke has a negative perception of life and feels that no one understands her. She has trouble sleeping and will leave the house in the early morning unattended, not understanding how dangerous this can be. Brooke struggles with daily tasks such as brushing her teeth and taking a shower or eating. School is a big challenge for Brooke. It’s very difficult for her to get through an average day without having emotional outbursts, which impact her academically.

Although Brooke has difficulty accepting friends and their love, her love of animals, especially dogs cannot be overstated. She loves animals and manages to interact with different kinds of animals wherever she goes. Brooke seeks out love from dogs and other animals to help her get through her day. When Brooke is surrounded by animals, she comes alive. She feels safest and happiest when she is enjoying the company of a dog, or even other animals. Animals are Brooke’s primary coping mechanism.

As Brooke got older, our dog Addie became Brooke’s best friend. Brooke and Addie spent countless hours together every day, enjoying each other’s company. Brooke felt that Addie was the only one who understood her; they were truly inseparable. Unfortunately, Addie passed away recently. Brooke has suffered so much since losing Addie. Her mental health has deteriorated to the point where she is in crisis. We have always been concerned about Brooke’s safety, but her anxiety has multiplied since Addie’s passing.

Based on feedback from Brooke’s therapist and other professionals, it has become clear that Brooke would benefit from a Service Animal. A well-trained Service Dog would provide Brooke with a constant companion that could help keep her safe and reduce her emotional outbursts. A Service Dog would provide Brooke with friendship and support. A few of Dakota's specific tasks for Brooke would be crowd control, deep pressure, behavior interruption, pica interruption and blocking.

Despite our many challenges, we are very grateful for the incredible support from family, friends, school officials and members of our community. Brooke receives a lot of love, as everyone seems to go out of their way to support her and our family in the best way they can. I know Dakota, Brooke’s Service Dog would be welcomed not just by our family, but also by our friends, community, and Brooke’s educators.

Unfortunately, the cost of purchasing a fully trained Service Dog is out of reach financially for us. If you have the means to donate or help in any way, please know that any contribution would make a huge difference in my daughter’s safety and her quality of life. The peace of mind it would bring our entire family would be life-changing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and may God Bless you and your family.