Lake County may soon have first seizure response dog

Check out this article about Ken, Sara's husband, and the efforts to raise monies for Ken's dog.The pancake breakfast was very successful, but there is a long way to go. Stay tuned for opportunities to help with this worth cause!

BY CHANDRA JOHNSON
cjohnson@nwitimes.com

You might say Ken Livengood's life is going to the dogs.

Together with the community and Paws With A Cause, Livengood may soon be able to have Lake County's first seizure response dog to help his family better manage Livengood's epilepsy. Livengood said he realized he needed an assistance dog when his seizures became too much.

"After the last time I had staples put into my head, I looked at the wife and said, 'What do you think about helper dogs?' " Livengood said. "She'd already looked online."

Paws With A Cause and Munster's South Side Christian Church will hold a pancake breakfast June 24 to raise the remaining funds Livengood needs to purchase a dog. Tickets for the benefit are a $5 minimum donation.

"A lot of my clients say as their disability progresses, their world shrinks," field instructor Annie Schaffer said. "They can't work and then they can't drive, so their world just keeps shrinking."

"I think that's why Ken and his family chose Paws With A Cause," event coordinator Kelly Vates said. "Because of how much they invest in their dogs and their clients."

Livengood, now 47, learned of his epilepsy when he was 13. When Livengood had a seizure on the job in 1988, he was put on disability and later lost his driver's license. He is also required to wear a helmet while standing to prevent injury from unpredictable seizures. Vates said the dog would also help put Livengood's family at ease.

"A lot of these accidents happen when Ken is alone," Vates said. "The main goal with this dog is to be able to feel safe enough to leave home, go to work and feel confident that Ken's got someone right there by his side."

Schaffer said Livengood's dog would be trained specifically as a seizure response dog. When Livengood has a seizure, the dog will get a special cordless phone and bring it to Livengood. If Livengood has a seizure in public, the dog will lie down next to him to wait for help.

Paws With A Cause has placed more than 1,900 dogs with disabled clients nationwide. Clients must report on progress of the relationship every 18 months. If the client's condition changes, Schaffer said trainers come back and update the dog's skills to accommodate needs. Schaffer said the clients are screened almost as vigorously as the dogs.

When Livengood raises the money, his case will be placed on the "find a dog" list, where he can specify a size, gender or weight of his dog. Livengood said it was the dedication of staff and the thorough process that made him choose a dog from Paws.

"When Annie told me if I ran into a problem anytime and she said she could come back, that sold me," Livengood said.

"I think a key word for Paws With A Cause is 'responsibility,' " Vates said. "There are organizations that will place a dog with you for less money, but not with the quality Paws offers."