Northstar Dogs

Patty Dobbs Gross decided to get one of the first assistance dogs specifically for children with developmental disabilities from Canine Companions for Independence, and was so delighted with the benefits that she later founded the North Star Foundation to help other families raising children with autism. She writes about her experiences raising Danny and founding North Star in her book, The Golden Bridge: A Guide to Assistance Dogs for Children Challenged by Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities (Purdue University Press, 2006).

The North Star Foundation places assistance dogs with children who face social, emotional or educational challenges. Approximately half of the organization’s placements (since their incorporation as a nonprofit in 2000) have been for children with autism. The foundation has been profiled in Autism Spectrum Quarterly, as well as the AKC Gazette.
 

Patty says, “I hope you enjoy our work together; it was truly a labor of love for my son and I to create these videos for families of children with autism."Danny was eventually mainstreamed in public school, then earned a degree in communication science at the University of Connecticut as he developed his talent for film editing. He recently began graduate work at the USC  School of Cinematic Arts. He and Patty produced the videos on NorthStar’s website. Click here to view more of Patty and Danny's videos on YouTube.