On Colorado Gives Day a Colorado Springs family asked the community to help them secure a trained service dog for their son Elliott, who has profound autism and depends on feeding tubes and oxygen.

The request came as Sunrise Service Dogs, a Colorado Springs nonprofit that trains and provides service dogs to families, reported that many families are waiting because demand and costs strain available capacity. The demand for service dogs has significantly increased in recent years, driven by rising awareness of their benefits for physical and mental health conditions such as autism. KOAA News5 highlighted the Peters family’s appeal as part of the statewide fundraising day.

Elliott is nonverbal and “needs hands-on attention every moment of the day,” the family says. His mother, Katlin Peters, described the central role her children play in the household: “They are literally my entire world.” She and her husband, Sean Peters, are seeking a service dog to help keep Elliott safe and provide companionship. According to Sunrise Service Dogs, the actual cost to train and support a service dog team, including lifetime support, typically ranges from about $30,000 to $50,000, underscoring the urgent financial need.

Katlin told reporters that animals are one of the few consistent connections for Elliott: “Autism takes over his life.” She added that a trained dog would be an additional caregiver in the home: “Having that third partner for Sean and I to help keep him safe.” Service dogs can assist people with a wide range of disabilities, making them invaluable assets for families like the Peters.

Sunrise Service Dogs provides service animals for people with disabilities, including children with developmental conditions, and is based in Colorado Springs. Laura Edwards, Executive Director of Sunrise Service Dogs, said families remain on waiting lists: “They are still waiting…” Edwards also noted the effect a dog can have on a family’s life, saying bluntly, “It changed his trajectory having a service dog.” The organization’s mission is vital amid a rising need for service dogs, as reflected in the growing number of applications and long waitlists reported by Sunrise Service Dogs and similar organizations.

The Peters family’s appeal on Colorado Gives Day aims to connect local donors with organizations that train and place service dogs for children like Elliott. The family says they try to find joy amid demanding care routines; Katlin noted the family’s effort to maintain normal rhythms and small pleasures for their children.

Community donations and nonprofit resources are the route the Peters family is pursuing to secure a service dog. Sunrise Service Dogs’ presence in Colorado Springs and its mission to train and place working dogs is central to that effort, and the Peters family sought the organization’s assistance through the publicity on Colorado Gives Day. Their story underscores the gap between need and available trained dogs: families are asking for community support while nonprofits navigate limited capacity and costs associated with breeding, training, and placing service animals.

As the Peters family continues to raise support, they are asking neighbors and donors to consider contributing to organizations that place service dogs with children who have intensive care needs. For the Peters household, a service dog represents both a practical safety partner and a source of companionship for Elliott and the rest of the family. With a growing number of families sharing similar needs, their appeal highlights the importance of community engagement in bridging the gap between demand and availability in service dog placements.

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Original reporting: view the original article.