Teen Honors Her Late Service Dog, Raises Awareness For Autism
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- When Kat Zdrojowy lost her best friend at Christmas, she was devastated.
The 5-year-old dog, named Checkers, served as a service animal for the Pittsburgh teen, who has a form of Autism called Asperger Syndrome.
The animal's death was sudden and unexpected. Kat and Checkers made appearances in several classrooms, teaching kids and adults about Asperger's.
"At the end of the day, he was the one thing I loved the most, and he was my baby," Kat told KDKA's Kym Gable. "Even when he wasn't on duty, he was on duty, and he'd always help when I was feeling emotional."
Stress, anxiety and frequent "melt-downs" are all characteristics of Asperger's. Checkers helped sooth and guide Kat.
"It's like that comforting object. This is like having someone I can always go to and he won't judge me," Kat said.
Her mother, Shana, said, "Three days after he died, she had been in a horrible despair and grief, and then she came to me and said she didn't want his story to go to waste. She wanted to go on an educational campaign to learn to train dogs to do this for other people."
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Kat and her family plan to adopt another dog, an 8-week-old puppy from Philadelphia, that will be specially-trained to be a service dog.
Kat has already named the puppy "Hope." She's bringing her home on Feb. 26. Kat is raising funds for that and for her mission to raise public awareness about Asperger's Syndrome.
You can find Kat's fundraising page is at www.gofundme.com/katdog
"I'm going to help other people," insisted Kat. "You're never going to get the real, true idea unless it comes from someone who has it, who can explain it. That's what I want to show people with 'Hope.'"
