Paint Night Fundraiser Helps Children With Autism Get Service Dogs

CALABASAS, CA — Good Dog! Autism Companions, a non-profit group that helps connect service dogs with children with autism, is hosting a painting night at Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas on August 9 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. The Good Dog! painting nights across the country are in celebration of International Assistance Dog Week from August 6-12. However, the paint night in Calabasas will have a special guest.

Sebastian Bordonaro, a child with autism and sensory processing disorder, will have his Good Dog! service dog revealed to him at the fundraiser. Bordonaro was diagnosed with autism when he was three, after doctors told his mother he was experiencing developmental delays in his early years of life.

"When I first found out he had autism, I was devastated. All of these dreams I had for him weren't going to come true to him all of a sudden," Sebastian's mother Kimberly Bordonaro said. "But I knew him, and I knew it was just about a different way of communicating with him. I didn't give up.

Kimberly Bordonaro was first made aware of autism service dogs after she saw a classmate of Sebastian's had one. Sebastian "lit up" and was "fascinated" by the dog, and on days when he didn't want to go to school, his mother reminded him that there were dogs for him to see along the way — that was enough to get him there.

Each child with autism is different from the next, Kimberly Bordonaro said, but Sebastian is doing everything he can to fit into "our world." Sebastian is hypo-sensitive, which means he lack sensitivity to their surroundings, is "sensory seeking," and has a high pain tolerance.

"With Sebastian, it's like having a six-year-old Evel Knievel," Kimberly Bordonaro said. "When he turned five, we realized that he doesn't walk, he just runs."

The fundraiser will also be honoring the Topanga Division of LAPD and Intuit, two groups that helped fundraise for Sebastian's service dog over the past year. Traditionally, Good Dog! Autism Companions provides half of the funds for a service dog, and the family fundraises the other half, bringing the grand total to $26,000. However, between the help they received and Kimberly's background in non-profit fundraising, the Bordonaro family was able to raise the full cost of Sebastian's dog. All funds raised at the event will go towards helping children like Sebastian get autism service dogs of their own.

The raffle at the painting night will include prizes like a six-month supply of dog food donated by Champion Petfoods, as well as prizes donated by Orgins, Zippy Paws, and Aveda. Champion is also providing each participant with a goodie bag to take home.

"All of this helped me realize that Sebastian should never feel ashamed or embarrassed that he has autism," Kimberly Bordonaro said. "There’s no hiding it, it’s just part of who he is and I'm proud of him. I hope he feels that way about it too."