CLEVELAND — They're just short 200 kids, but for the last two decades W.A.G.S. 4 Kids (WAGS) provided dozens of service dogs to kids in need of independence and dignity and they have no plans on slowing down.
12-year-old Charlie O'Brien and Flash are more than best friends, Flash lit up Charlie's world.
"Before it was a little hard, I guess, but after flash it got a lot easier," Charlie said.
His mom, Paula, says Flash meant the world to Charlie and the family.
"Now that we're in middle school, Charlie has been allowed to not have to use his power chair to get between classes and just him and flash navigate the halls safely together, it's opened so many things for Charlie, we hope that it can give him the independence so he can be a successful human being," Paula said.
"Back in '04 we were it for kids," said Executive Director, Sera Nelson. "There was no such thing as a service dog for children, you had to be at least fifteen if not sixteen years old to even apply let alone receive a service dog."
Nelson's mother, Wendy Nelson Crann, an animal trainer, and Ed Crann, a former special education teacher, developed the idea of training service animals to specifically meet the special needs of children in 2004, when there were no similar programs.
They founded the organization in their Northeast Ohio home to help the needs of local children.
They placed their first dog in 2005, and continue to be the only 501(c)(3) organization in Ohio that exclusively provides service dogs for children up to the age of 18.
They're also unique in that they provide niche services to families with nowhere else to go in seeking an animal that is custom-suited to their child’s needs.
After the Chardon High School shooting, the organization upped its cutoff age to eighteen so survivor Nick Walczak could receive his dog, Turner. It set a national precedent other organizations now follow.
Each dog costs $35,000 and families are required to fundraise $9,000 of that cost.
Walczak was the first recipient ever to meet the trainers.
Turner has since passed on, but Nick is now on the WAGS board. Many of the inmates who've gone through the program became professional dog trainers upon their release and some still help with the program.
WAGS relies on donations to help provide these dogs to kids in need. To learn more click HERE