WELLINGTON: The generosity of local businesses is helping a Wellington woman in her fundraising efforts for her service dog.
Anna-Marie Carr is making homemade jams and placing them on the counter inside the Wellington Bakery at the encouragement of owner Paula Decker.The money raised from the sale of the jams is going towards assisting Carr with costs associated with her lovely service dog, Dakota.
Dakota helps Carr who suffers from anxiety/complex PTSD, compromised vision, and chronic pain disease.
“When you look at the costs involved with a service dog, it’s expensive,” said Carr. “There’s a lot of training involved, a lot of equipment and specialized vet trips.”
She said initially when she was first raising money for the purchase of Dakota she was selling cookies amongst her friends.
Carr is also getting help from The Vegetorium in Fall River, who contact her when they get shipment of berries in so she can come get some to make the jams.
She said Karma Dog Training, operating as Unleashed Potential, owned by Guy LaPierre and his wife Kimberly Ann LaPierre and operated in Windsor Junction, has been a big help to her with dog obedience for Dakota. Paul Boyd from B & R Pet Supplies in Windsor Junction has given Carr discounts on supplies and help with dog food costs for Dakota too.
“There aren’t a lot of things that I can do,” she said. “But making jams is one thing I can do.”
Carr said both Paula Decker and Mike have kept a close eye on her.
“They’ve seen the extreme change that I have been able to accomplish with Dakota,” she said. “When I was talking to Paula about this, she said why don’t I put them in the Bakery.
“I was more than willing to do that and even offered her a percentage. But Paula, being the person she is, said no. She said everything we collect would go towards Dakota’s training fund.”
Decker said she didn’t hesitate to provide the space for Carr to sell the jams. The response has been positive.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” she said. “I’ve known Anna for years. She’s been a customer since the beginning in 1995.
“When I saw that she was going to need some help with some service dog training, I thought it was right to step up and help.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
