Arlington community comes together to provide a service dog for six-year-old with neurological disorder

Ava Reed is 6 years old and thinks dogs are funny. That's one reason she's excited to get a golden retriever.

Another reason is that she falls, often, due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that makes it difficult to walk and maintain balance. 

"What do you think a service dog will help you with?" Ava's mother Karon Reed asked last week. 

"Going up stairs," Ava said. "Walking in the hallway at school."

Ava, who attends Arlington Elementary School, has been accepted by K9 Direction as a candidate for a service dog. 

The golden retriever puppy will cost $2,000 to $3,000, and training and equipment will cost upwards of $7,500. 

Already, Arlington community members have helped the Reed family raise more than $9,000. A fundraiser at Arlington's Crave Coffee Bar and Bistro raised additional money. 

“We are just blown away by it," said Karon Reed. "The amount of people coming forth who don’t know us is incredible. I feel so loved. It's hard to believe so many people are so selfless.”

UPDATE:Ava gets her service puppy after community raises $10,500

Any additional money will go for veterinarian bills, dog food and other puppy needs, said Jeff Tawater, executive director of K9 Direction.

Ava currently walks using a walker and leg braces. Charcot-Marie-Tooth affects both motor and sensory nerves, but doesn't impact Ava's mental development. Because of that, Ava is starting to understand that she's different than other children, Karon Reed said.

"I'm hoping a dog can bring a bright side to that and maybe not feel so much as a piece of medical equipment to her," Karon Reed said. "That’s one of the biggest things for us.”

The dog will start out with Ava's family as a puppy, going through regular training with Tawater, whose organization is also based out of Arlington. First the dog will be socialized and given advanced obedience training, and when it is old enough it will be taught to match Ava's pace and slowly walk up and down stairs.

A special harness that costs around $600 will allow Ava to balance herself, with the dog taking the place of a walker in many situations. 

"There's really no limit as far as any physical assistance she needs," Tawater said. "The dog will be there for whatever she needs." 

Tawater and the Reed family originally settled on a golden retriever, but later decided that Ava will have a golden Labrador. Since the dog will go with Ava to school, they wanted one that wasn't intimidating.

“We’re extremely excited," Karon Reed said. "We’re incredibly grateful for the community and what everyone has done.”

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Katherine Burgess covers county government and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.