NEWS

Neighbors to help purchase service dog

Multi-family yard sale planned today and Saturday

Renee Bell
reneeb@crestviewbulletin.com
Amanda and Travis Denis are pictured with their children, Mick, Eli, Amelia and Oliver. [SPECIAL TO THE NEWS BULLETIN]

CRESTVIEW — A neighborhood has banded together to help a family raise money to buy a service dog.

Amanda and Travis Denis have four children between them: Mick, 17; Eli, 5; Amelia, 3; and Oliver, 2.

Eli was diagnosed with autism at age 3.

As he grows, his behaviors are changing, his mom says. He has issues with elopement, meaning he will run away from them in overstimulating situations.

"A dog would help him to stay with us and learn better coping skills instead of running," Amanda said. "The dog would help him with (anxiety) in public places, keep him calm by laying on him and providing him deep pressure when he gets very upset."

The Denises have been holding one yard sale a month to raise the $10,000 required for Ohana K9 Lifeline to purchase and train the dog.

Their neighbors have also joined in. They plan to have a multi-family yard sale from 7 a.m.-noon Friday and Saturday on Grand Prix Drive in Crestview.

"Several families have signed up to do this, and also many people in the community have been donating items for the last two or three weeks — furniture, clothing, household items," Amanda said. "There's also going to be a bake sale going on."

One neighbor and her husband made several trips to Fort Walton Beach to pick up furniture and other yard sale donations. Moe's Custom Graphics is selling T-shirts on the company's Facebook and Instagram pages.

There's also a GoFundMe page (https://bit.ly/2SUme6T). The Denises estimate it will take about a year to secure the funds.

"I really want to thank the community of Okaloosa County for coming together and donating. From what I've been told through my neighbors, it's going to be amazing," Amanda said.

Visit https://bit.ly/2ssCIHV to learn more about the yard sale.