I kept Ranger and worked with him for three weeks then started training Joe and Bill to work with him. With Molly's help he learned very fast and in a short amount of time we knew that he was the perfect Service Dog for Bill. Ranger went to live with his Foster Parent Joe.

Bill agreed to pay for Ranger's upkeep, and Joe and I agreed to train Ranger at no cost to Bill until we could find funding. We started looking for funding to help us with our gas and training expenses. We are still looking...

In the mean while I formed a Board of Directors and went to work on the paperwork to Incorporate and the 501(c)(3) for a tax exempt status.

If training Service Dogs, Foster Parents, Recipients, educating the public, and giving presentations was all it was to it - it would be easy. But this nonprofit paperwork was mind boggling. Sharon and I worked on the paperwork for a year and still needed help. We started seeking professional help that would do it pro-bono. We found a Tax Attorney that completed our paperwork and we filed it!!! It was accepted and is active as of Dec.27th 2004!!

Nathan suggested that we team up with MSAA to receive funding that could be used as a tax write off, so we did. So far we have received only $200.00 in funding.

Which leads us to a serious problem since we all have to live and pay our bills. I continued to train dogs for the general public in obedience but it does not pay the bills and all the gas it takes to run around training. Bill lives 65 miles from me and Joe lives further. It has cost Joe and me a small fortune to train with Ranger and Bill. Not to mention all the presentations we have done all over Houston.

I started selling everything I had on Ebay to pay my bills and take care of Molly. I then borrowed the money from a friend to buy a 24' travel trailer and moved it to a cattle ranch owned by one of our Board of Directors. I tend fourteen head of cattle, six ducks, two cats, and Molly on 18 acres. That got my living expenses down to a minimum but still does not pay the bills.

See UPDATE on Ranger!!!!