Tipperary pet store customers help raise €25,650 to provide assistance dogs for children with autism

Maxi Zoo customers in Clonmel have helped to raise a whopping €25,650 which is set to transform the lives of children with autism by providing them with highly-trained assistance dogs.

The amount was raised as part of the annual Maxi Zoo Give Paw fundraising campaign and all proceeds from the event have been presented to Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland (AADI).

The month-long fundraising campaign was generously supported by local pet owners when it took place at the Maxi Zoo pet store at The Poppyfields retail park in Clonmel in October, offering locals the opportunity to support the national charity by buying a €2 friendship bracelet.

Assistance dogs are not pets but service dogs who are trained for up to two years to carry out specific tasks to support children with autism to overcome the distressing elements of their disability, and to live the life they deserve.

Assistance dogs provide safety and companionship, reduce anxiety and suffering, promote independence and improve coping mechanisms for children with autism who would otherwise live in a very isolated world.

“One in every 65 children in Ireland has autism”, said Nuala Geraghty, CEO, Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland.

“We have over 200 children on our waiting list, which we had to close due to lack of funding. In the past 24 months we have had over 1,600 families contact our charity asking us for our support,” she added.

“These are families that you no longer see in our communities because their child’s autism is so debilitating that they cannot leave their homes.

“The generous contributions to Maxi Zoo’s Give Paw campaign will really help us to reach more children and their families and to change their lives and their future,” she stated.

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