Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United with Pets

[Guest guest]

Honestly, I just wanted to drive a dog, not get into the papers!!!

But here is the AutismLink release and the Pgh Post Gazette picked it up.

Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United with Pets

Brought to you by AutismLink

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Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United with Pets

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50892

7/26/2005 2:07:00 PM

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PITTSBURGH, July 26, / U.S. Newswire/ -- The " dog days " of summer took on

new meaning for a Mc, Pa., family this week when they found out that

they couldn't transport their two laborador retrievers on their move to

Phoenix, Ariz. due to the intense heatwave gripping most of the country. The

family, who has a child with autism, were forced to find new homes for their

pets, that is, until they turned to AutismLink, a nationwide autism support

organization.

" The family contacted us looking for someone to take their pets. " said

Waeltermann, AutismLink Director, " They had no means of transporting them

because the father had left for his new job with the only family car. "

That's when AutismLink families jumped into action. Webster of DuBois,

Pa., a mother of an autistic child herself, refused to let the family go

without the pets.

" This is a story about an autistic boy who is about to lose most everything

familiar to him. He's moving to a new state, new home, new school and will

be meeting all new people. " Webster said, " Change in routine is very

disruptive for someone with autism. It truly is a matter of need not want,

as far as I am concerned. "

Webster turned to the autism community for help and has organized a " doggie

relay " from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Phoenix, Ariz. to reunite the family with

their pets. " I sent out a plea to the autism community, people who are

tapped financially and physically, and still I got offers of money and man

power to make this relay possible. It's truly incredible! " Webster said.

Lenore Wossidlo of Pittsburgh, Pa., a member of AutismLink and mother of an

autistic child, helped to raise funds for the event. " As an animal lover and

a parent of two children, I know the value of the relationship between this

special child and his dogs, " Wossidlo said, " I got involved because he

cannot be without them. " Wossidlo is taking the Pittsburgh to Sharon, Pa.,

leg of the relay, where she'll hand the dogs over to Webster.

" Volunteers are still needed, " said Waeltermann, " we need someone to take

the dogs from Indiana to Missouri, and from Missouri to Oklahoma. " If no

volunteers are found, Webster will complete the drive from Sharon,

Pa., to Oklahoma. The last leg of the journey from Oklahoma to Phoenix is

being conducted by Jenn Engle of Albuquerque, N.M.

The drive will take place this Friday, July 29, and AutismLink is hoping to

find more volunteers and more financial resources to make this trip a

reality. To volunteer as a driver, contact info@... or

jwebs94@.... To donate funds for the journey, visit

http://www.autismlink.com

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[Guest guest]

Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United with Pets

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50892

7/26/2005 2:07:00 PM

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

PITTSBURGH, July 26, / U.S. Newswire/ -- The " dog days " of summer

took on new meaning for a Mc, Pa., family this week when they

found out that they couldn't transport their two laborador

retrievers on their move to Phoenix, Ariz. due to the intense

heatwave gripping most of the country. The family, who has a child

with autism, were forced to find new homes for their pets, that is,

until they turned to AutismLink, a nationwide autism support

organization.

" The family contacted us looking for someone to take their pets. "

said Waeltermann, AutismLink Director, " They had no means of

transporting them because the father had left for his new job with

the only family car. " That's when AutismLink families jumped into

action. Webster of DuBois, Pa., a mother of an autistic child

herself, refused to let the family go without the pets.

" This is a story about an autistic boy who is about to lose most

everything familiar to him. He's moving to a new state, new home,

new school and will be meeting all new people. " Webster

said, " Change in routine is very disruptive for someone with autism.

It truly is a matter of need not want, as far as I am concerned. "

Webster turned to the autism community for help and has organized

a " doggie relay " from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Phoenix, Ariz. to reunite

the family with their pets. " I sent out a plea to the autism

community, people who are tapped financially and physically, and

still I got offers of money and man power to make this relay

possible. It's truly incredible! " Webster said.

Lenore Wossidlo of Pittsburgh, Pa., a member of AutismLink and

mother of an autistic child, helped to raise funds for the

event. " As an animal lover and a parent of two children, I know the

value of the relationship between this special child and his dogs, "

Wossidlo said, " I got involved because he cannot be without them. "

Wossidlo is taking the Pittsburgh to Sharon, Pa., leg of the relay,

where she'll hand the dogs over to Webster.

" Volunteers are still needed, " said Waeltermann, " we need someone to

take the dogs from Indiana to Missouri, and from Missouri to

Oklahoma. " If no volunteers are found, Webster will complete

the drive from Sharon, Pa., to Oklahoma. The last leg of the journey

from Oklahoma to Phoenix is being conducted by Jenn Engle of

Albuquerque, N.M.

The drive will take place this Friday, July 29, and AutismLink is

hoping to find more volunteers and more financial resources to make

this trip a reality. To volunteer as a driver, contact

info@... or jwebs94@.... To donate funds for the

journey, visit http://www.autismlink.com

[Guest guest]

It's a great story -- uplifting to most. That's why it needed to be

told. Not for the sake of publicity. And besides, you did it and you

rock.

> Honestly, I just wanted to drive a dog, not get into the papers!!!

> But here is the AutismLink release and the Pgh Post Gazette picked

it up.

>

>

>

> Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United

with Pets

>

>

>

>

> Brought to you by AutismLink

>

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> ----

>

> Cross-Country 'Doggie Relay' Keeps Autistic Child United with Pets

>

> http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50892

> 7/26/2005 2:07:00 PM

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> ----

>

> PITTSBURGH, July 26, / U.S. Newswire/ -- The " dog days " of summer

took on

> new meaning for a Mc, Pa., family this week when they found

out that

> they couldn't transport their two laborador retrievers on their move to

> Phoenix, Ariz. due to the intense heatwave gripping most of the

country. The

> family, who has a child with autism, were forced to find new homes

for their

> pets, that is, until they turned to AutismLink, a nationwide autism

support

> organization.

>

> " The family contacted us looking for someone to take their pets. "

said

> Waeltermann, AutismLink Director, " They had no means of transporting

them

> because the father had left for his new job with the only family car. "

> That's when AutismLink families jumped into action. Webster of

DuBois,

> Pa., a mother of an autistic child herself, refused to let the family go

> without the pets.

>

> " This is a story about an autistic boy who is about to lose most

everything

> familiar to him. He's moving to a new state, new home, new school

and will

> be meeting all new people. " Webster said, " Change in routine is very

> disruptive for someone with autism. It truly is a matter of need not

want,

> as far as I am concerned. "

>

> Webster turned to the autism community for help and has organized a

" doggie

> relay " from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Phoenix, Ariz. to reunite the family

with

> their pets. " I sent out a plea to the autism community, people who are

> tapped financially and physically, and still I got offers of money

and man

> power to make this relay possible. It's truly incredible! " Webster said.

>

> Lenore Wossidlo of Pittsburgh, Pa., a member of AutismLink and

mother of an

> autistic child, helped to raise funds for the event. " As an animal

lover and

> a parent of two children, I know the value of the relationship

between this

> special child and his dogs, " Wossidlo said, " I got involved because he

> cannot be without them. " Wossidlo is taking the Pittsburgh to

Sharon, Pa.,

> leg of the relay, where she'll hand the dogs over to Webster.

>

> " Volunteers are still needed, " said Waeltermann, " we need someone to

take

> the dogs from Indiana to Missouri, and from Missouri to Oklahoma. " If no

> volunteers are found, Webster will complete the drive from Sharon,

> Pa., to Oklahoma. The last leg of the journey from Oklahoma to

Phoenix is

> being conducted by Jenn Engle of Albuquerque, N.M.

>

> The drive will take place this Friday, July 29, and AutismLink is

hoping to

> find more volunteers and more financial resources to make this trip a

> reality. To volunteer as a driver, contact info@a... or

> jwebs94@a... To donate funds for the journey, visit

> http://www.autismlink.com

>

> ---

>

>

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> ----

>

>

> Join our listserv! Don't get your news second hand! Get LINKED!

Click here

> to join!

>

> If imitation is the highest form of flattery, we're flattered daily!

>

> To unsubscribe from this list visit this link

> To update your preferences visit this link

>

> AutismLink gives credit where credit is due, however, not everyone holds

> themselves to these standards. Therefore -- all Website and e-mail

design,

> text, graphics, the selection and arrangement thereof, is Copyright©

2005.

> AutismLink.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission must be granted in

writing

> to electronically copy and/or print in hard copy portions of this

Website.

> Any other use of materials on this Web site -- including

reproduction for

> purposes without consent, modification, distribution, or

> republication--without the prior written permission of AutismLink.com is

> strictly prohibited.

> ALL LOGOS ON AUTISMLINK'S WEBSITE ARE COPYRIGHTED.

>

>

>

>

>