The Guiding Paw

Subscribe to get notified about new events!

LXCL:The Guiding Paw empowers families by providing service dogs to support individuals living with major challenges. We exist to establish relationships in order to teach, train, lead, and guide families to raise the best Service Dogs around.

Meet Beckett! Beckett is a spunky, fun, sweet, and loving 6 year old! Beckett was diagnosed with a developmental delay 2 years ago. He is considered to be non-verbal and uses a speech device to express himself. In December of 2024, Beckett had his first seizure while at school. While in the hospital, we found out Beckett has a Chiari Malformation. This means that the lower part of his brain pushes down into the upper spinal canal due to his skull either being too small or misshapen. Beckett has had a few seizures since his first episode. A few weeks ago, we were approached with an amazing opportunity- to raise the money to pay for a service dog and train along side with her while she is still a puppy. This dog will be able to alert us of his seizures, keep him safe and away from roads, and be support for him when he is having a hard time/ meltdowns. The training for his pup will take approximately 2 years before she will be fully certified. The trainings will be costly. If you feel it in your heart to donate, that would be much appreciated and such a blessing for us. If you can send us your well wishes and prayers for this new adventure we are on, we will be forever grateful! 🌟 Join us in Creating Change! 🌟At The Guiding Paw, we know that change starts with people like you. Every act of kindness, every dollar, and every moment of your time brings us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all. How you can help power our mission:<ol fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Donate: Every dollar counts. Contribute now to help us reach our goal.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Share: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Volunteer: Your time and skills can make an impact too.</li></ol>Thank you for supporting our mission, your support is invaluable. **Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

Meet Beckett! Beckett is a spunky, fun, sweet, and loving 6 year old! Beckett was diagnosed with a developmental delay 2 years ago. He is considered to be non-verbal and uses a speech device to express himself. In December of 2024, Beckett had his first seizure while at school. While in the hospital, we found out Beckett has a Chiari Malformation. This means that the lower part of his brain pushes down into the upper spinal canal due to his skull either being too small or misshapen. Beckett has had a few seizures since his first episode. A few weeks ago, we were approached with an amazing opportunity- to raise the money to pay for a service dog and train along side with her while she is still a puppy. This dog will be able to alert us of his seizures, keep him safe and away from roads, and be support for him when he is having a hard time/ meltdowns. The training for his pup will take approximately 2 years before she will be fully certified. The trainings will be costly. If you feel it in your heart to donate, that would be much appreciated and such a blessing for us. If you can send us your well wishes and prayers for this new adventure we are on, we will be forever grateful!🌟 Join us in Creating Change! 🌟At The Guiding Paw, we know that change starts with people like you. Every act of kindness, every dollar, and every moment of your time brings us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate world for all.How you can help power our mission:Donate: Every dollar counts. Contribute now to help us reach our goal.Share: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.Volunteer: Your time and skills can make an impact too.Thank you for supporting our mission, your support is invaluable.**Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

Donate for Beckett’s Service Dog

Please consider sharing or donating to help River get a service dog, the opportunity to get a perfect companion for him has presented itself! River is an 8 year old who is a very sweet, non-verbal, profoundly autistic little boy with ADHD, in a family with two other neurodivergent children. River struggles with regulating his body and brain on a daily basis for various reasons and this can lead to meltdowns where he becomes a danger mostly to himself but sometimes to others as well. River also struggles with emotional regulation and making safe choices when there is no adult in the room with him or he is out in the community. Currently, River&rsquo;s Mom and Dad serve as the calm during these storms and act as his safety moderators but it is difficult to see the meltdowns coming and anticipating unsafe choices when there are other children in the house who also need to be cared for. Having a service dog would help River to find calm when his brain is in overdrive, the dog would also help to keep River safe during times of disregulation when he can become a danger to himself. Additionally, the dog would also help River to find independence in everyday life as they grow together.Giving River the ability to find regulation with the help of a service dog would not only be beneficial to him, but to his family as well. The companionship and help would truly be invaluable! Thank you! Kiki is training to become a full-time service dog partner. Your gift helps cover essential costs like specialized training, vet care, and daily support 🐾. At The Guiding Paw, we focus on building steady independence and confidence through well-trained service dogs. By supporting River&rsquo;s journey, you&rsquo;re helping create a reliable, long-term partnership rooted in trust, safety, and calm companionship ❤️. **Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

Please consider sharing or donating to help River get a service dog, the opportunity to get a perfect companion for him has presented itself!River is an 8 year old who is a very sweet, non-verbal, profoundly autistic little boy with ADHD, in a family with two other neurodivergent children. River struggles with regulating his body and brain on a daily basis for various reasons and this can lead to meltdowns where he becomes a danger mostly to himself but sometimes to others as well. River also struggles with emotional regulation and making safe choices when there is no adult in the room with him or he is out in the community. Currently, River’s Mom and Dad serve as the calm during these storms and act as his safety moderators but it is difficult to see the meltdowns coming and anticipating unsafe choices when there are other children in the house who also need to be cared for. Having a service dog would help River to find calm when his brain is in overdrive, the dog would also help to keep River safe during times of disregulation when he can become a danger to himself. Additionally, the dog would also help River to find independence in everyday life as they grow together.Giving River the ability to find regulation with the help of a service dog would not only be beneficial to him, but to his family as well. The companionship and help would truly be invaluable! Thank you!Kiki is training to become a full-time service dog partner. Your gift helps cover essential costs like specialized training, vet care, and daily support 🐾.At The Guiding Paw, we focus on building steady independence and confidence through well-trained service dogs. By supporting River’s journey, you’re helping create a reliable, long-term partnership rooted in trust, safety, and calm companionship ❤️.**Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

River’s Service Dog

I&rsquo;m Taylor. 34. &nbsp;I am being partnered with Oakley to use as a seizure response dog! &nbsp;For over 11 years, I have fought hard for answers. &nbsp;In May 2026 I was diagnosed through genetic testing with Stickler syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that has affected nearly every part of my life. At just 21 years old, I was told I needed both knees replaced. But because of my age, surgery wasn&rsquo;t an option then, so I pushed through years of worsening pain. The doctor said wait as long as I possibly could. At 26, I learned both of my hips also needed to be replaced due to avascular necrosis, another condition connected to my diagnosis. Despite the pain, I kept moving forward. &nbsp;Oakley is a non-negotiable for me, and this is why I need him. In 2020, I began having strange episodes where I would suddenly &ldquo;zone out,&rdquo; even in the middle of conversations. My wife, Katie, jokingly thought I just wasn&rsquo;t listening to her, like she didn&rsquo;t interest me anymore. I would also lose track of what I was saying sometimes mid-sentence. We had no idea those moments were the beginning of something much bigger. &nbsp;On September 24, 2025, everything changed. &nbsp;I was standing in our kitchen making Katie&rsquo;s coffee when my vision suddenly began to shake. A tingling sensation spread through my body, and it felt like curtains were slowly closing around my vision. The next thing I knew, I was on the kitchen floor. I don&rsquo;t know how long I had been there. I couldn&rsquo;t find my phone at first, and when I finally reached it, I texted Katie, who was getting ready for work. &nbsp;She came running into the kitchen, and the only words I could get out were, &ldquo;Call 911&hellip; I can&rsquo;t see.&rdquo;&nbsp; For the next five months, I lost my peripheral vision. &nbsp;2 months after the first &ldquo;episode&rdquo; as we began calling them, we were admitted at Duke University Hospital during another one. We were there for 5 days. I left there diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder. But something in my heart never felt at peace with that diagnosis. I wasn&rsquo;t looking for a different answer, I just needed to know we had truly explored every possibility before accepting it. &nbsp;The episodes continued. Some I even hid because that diagnosis isn&rsquo;t really understood by everyone because the things happening to me had no real proof to back them up. &nbsp; Leaving that hospital stay, I was referred to a neurologist with Duke University Hospital. It was a 6 month wait to see him. June 2026, within minutes of meeting me, he told me he didn&rsquo;t quite agree with the FND diagnosis. He believed I was having seizures. He explained that seizures can be incredibly difficult to diagnose because to know without a doubt it is one would require capturing one while monitoring brain activity (EEG). &nbsp; On June 8, 2026- 11 years after being told my knee needed replacing, I couldn&rsquo;t take it anymore and finally underwent my left total knee replacement. The surgery was far more extensive than expected because of years of damage, bone spurs, and deterioration. During my recovery, severe pain and insomnia caused my episodes to become much more frequent. Then something incredible happened.During a post-operative appointment, I had another episode while I was directly across from an emergency department. Blood was drawn within 20 minutes, and the results finally provided the evidence doctors needed. After years of advocating for myself, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and there was proof to go with that diagnosis. Receiving that diagnosis has been both emotional and validating. It doesn&rsquo;t erase everything I&rsquo;ve been through, but it gives us answers and a path forward. &nbsp;That path needs to include Oakley. &nbsp; We are raising funds to help Oakley complete his seizure response service dog training. A trained service dog can do so much more than just provide companionship. Oakley can learn to help break falls, create a protective barrier during and after seizures, assist with disorientation, possibly provide deep pressure therapy and comfort, and help me safely navigate the moments after a seizure. Having that support would mean greater independence, increased safety, and peace of mind not only for me, but for my wife and our kids as well. Service dog training is incredibly specialized and expensive, but we and my medical team truly believe it will be life changing. &nbsp;If you feel led to donate, no matter the amount, we are deeply grateful. If donating isn&rsquo;t possible, your prayers, encouragement, and sharing our story mean just as much to us. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for believing in this journey, and for helping us take one more step toward a safer and more independent future with Oakley by my side. There is a difference in this world I&rsquo;d like to make and it&rsquo;s simple&hellip;&hellip;.My hope is that even just one person reads my words, my story, and chooses compassion over judgment the next time they encounter someone whose life they don&rsquo;t fully understand. Because every single person has a story. You can never truly understand a journey lived in shoes you never wore. Having a disability weighs heavier on the person than anyone would think about. And those were things I hid very well because of judgements I received from the outside world. Disabilities are just a part of my story. But it is not my entire identity. I am still a wife. Still a mom. Still a friend. Still someone who laughs, dreams, loves fiercely, and refuses to stop fighting. If anything, having a disability has made me more compassionate, more resilient, more adaptable, and more understanding of invisible battles. This is simply an invitation to pause. To remember that every diagnosis&hellip; every mistake&hellip; every rumor&hellip; every scar&hellip; every label&hellip; Belongs to a real human being. Someone who has loved deeply. Someone who has survived quietly. Someone who has grieved endlessly. Someone who has fought battles no one else could see, sometimes alone and scared. You can never truly know what someone is carrying. Some burdens are visible. Most are not. So before you judge someone&hellip; Before you assume&hellip; Before you decide who they are because of a diagnosis, a rumor, a mistake, or a label&hellip;Remember this:You have never walked in the shoes they never got to take off. You never carried their pain for as long as they have. So choose kindness. Choose curiosity over assumptions. Choose compassion over judgment. Because the person in front of you may be carrying a battle you will never see, and your kindness might be the first relief they&rsquo;ve felt all day. Taylor &amp; Oakley are on their way to becoming a trained service dog team 🐾 Your gift helps The Guiding Paw provide specialized training so Oakley can support Taylor through her health challenges. Every donation goes toward professional training, care, and ongoing support for this team, and helps us build a more inclusive community for kids and adults with disabilities 🌟 Thank you for standing beside Taylor &amp; Oakley and The Guiding Paw&rsquo;s mission. **Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

I’m Taylor. 34. I am being partnered with Oakley to use as a seizure response dog! For over 11 years, I have fought hard for answers. In May 2026 I was diagnosed through genetic testing with Stickler syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that has affected nearly every part of my life. At just 21 years old, I was told I needed both knees replaced. But because of my age, surgery wasn’t an option then, so I pushed through years of worsening pain. The doctor said wait as long as I possibly could. At 26, I learned both of my hips also needed to be replaced due to avascular necrosis, another condition connected to my diagnosis.Despite the pain, I kept moving forward. Oakley is a non-negotiable for me, and this is why I need him. In 2020, I began having strange episodes where I would suddenly “zone out,” even in the middle of conversations. My wife, Katie, jokingly thought I just wasn’t listening to her, like she didn’t interest me anymore. I would also lose track of what I was saying sometimes mid-sentence. We had no idea those moments were the beginning of something much bigger. On September 24, 2025, everything changed. I was standing in our kitchen making Katie’s coffee when my vision suddenly began to shake. A tingling sensation spread through my body, and it felt like curtains were slowly closing around my vision. The next thing I knew, I was on the kitchen floor. I don’t know how long I had been there. I couldn’t find my phone at first, and when I finally reached it, I texted Katie, who was getting ready for work. She came running into the kitchen, and the only words I could get out were, “Call 911… I can’t see.” For the next five months, I lost my peripheral vision. 2 months after the first “episode” as we began calling them, we were admitted at Duke University Hospital during another one. We were there for 5 days. I left there diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder. But something in my heart never felt at peace with that diagnosis. I wasn’t looking for a different answer, I just needed to know we had truly explored every possibility before accepting it. The episodes continued. Some I even hid because that diagnosis isn’t really understood by everyone because the things happening to me had no real proof to back them up. Leaving that hospital stay, I was referred to a neurologist with Duke University Hospital. It was a 6 month wait to see him. June 2026, within minutes of meeting me, he told me he didn’t quite agree with the FND diagnosis. He believed I was having seizures. He explained that seizures can be incredibly difficult to diagnose because to know without a doubt it is one would require capturing one while monitoring brain activity (EEG). On June 8, 2026- 11 years after being told my knee needed replacing, I couldn’t take it anymore and finally underwent my left total knee replacement. The surgery was far more extensive than expected because of years of damage, bone spurs, and deterioration. During my recovery, severe pain and insomnia caused my episodes to become much more frequent.Then something incredible happened.During a post-operative appointment, I had another episode while I was directly across from an emergency department. Blood was drawn within 20 minutes, and the results finally provided the evidence doctors needed.After years of advocating for myself, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and there was proof to go with that diagnosis. Receiving that diagnosis has been both emotional and validating. It doesn’t erase everything I’ve been through, but it gives us answers and a path forward. That path needs to include Oakley. We are raising funds to help Oakley complete his seizure response service dog training. A trained service dog can do so much more than just provide companionship. Oakley can learn to help break falls, create a protective barrier during and after seizures, assist with disorientation, possibly provide deep pressure therapy and comfort, and help me safely navigate the moments after a seizure. Having that support would mean greater independence, increased safety, and peace of mind not only for me, but for my wife and our kids as well.Service dog training is incredibly specialized and expensive, but we and my medical team truly believe it will be life changing. If you feel led to donate, no matter the amount, we are deeply grateful. If donating isn’t possible, your prayers, encouragement, and sharing our story mean just as much to us.Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for believing in this journey, and for helping us take one more step toward a safer and more independent future with Oakley by my side.There is a difference in this world I’d like to make and it’s simple…….My hope is that even just one person reads my words, my story, and chooses compassion over judgment the next time they encounter someone whose life they don’t fully understand. Because every single person has a story. You can never truly understand a journey lived in shoes you never wore. Having a disability weighs heavier on the person than anyone would think about. And those were things I hid very well because of judgements I received from the outside world. Disabilities are just a part of my story. But it is not my entire identity. I am still a wife. Still a mom. Still a friend. Still someone who laughs, dreams, loves fiercely, and refuses to stop fighting. If anything, having a disability has made me more compassionate, more resilient, more adaptable, and more understanding of invisible battles. This is simply an invitation to pause. To remember that every diagnosis… every mistake… every rumor… every scar… every label… Belongs to a real human being. Someone who has loved deeply. Someone who has survived quietly. Someone who has grieved endlessly. Someone who has fought battles no one else could see, sometimes alone and scared. You can never truly know what someone is carrying. Some burdens are visible. Most are not. So before you judge someone… Before you assume… Before you decide who they are because of a diagnosis, a rumor, a mistake, or a label…Remember this:You have never walked in the shoes they never got to take off. You never carried their pain for as long as they have. So choose kindness. Choose curiosity over assumptions. Choose compassion over judgment. Because the person in front of you may be carrying a battle you will never see, and your kindness might be the first relief they’ve felt all day.Taylor & Oakley are on their way to becoming a trained service dog team 🐾 Your gift helps The Guiding Paw provide specialized training so Oakley can support Taylor through her health challenges.Every donation goes toward professional training, care, and ongoing support for this team, and helps us build a more inclusive community for kids and adults with disabilities 🌟Thank you for standing beside Taylor & Oakley and The Guiding Paw’s mission.**Campaign goals are an estimation and not a guarantee. All donations are non-refundable and go to The Guiding Paw general fund. All donations are used in accordance with our mission statement and operating plan. Funds are never distributed to a receipient directly.

The Guiding Paw

The Guiding Paw

More ways to support us

Donate for Beckett’s Service Dog

US$1,840 of US$10,000 goal

Donate today

River’s Service Dog

US$4,650 of US$12,000 goal

Donate today

Taylor & Oakley

US$0 of US$12,000 goal

Donate today

Powered by