Dan, Dan, The Scammer Man Part 1

Your phone rings early one morning.  It's a friend.  You are just informed that your friend's daughter went to bed the not before, but never woke up.  Cause of death?  Dead in Bed Syndrome.  It's a horrible, and extremely scary term for an unexplained complication, due to Type 1 Diabetes.  Sadly, most of these cases have been found in patients UNDER the age of 40.

Now, imagine when you received that phone call, that you also happened to have a child with the same auto immune disorder. AND that child also happened to be asleep in her bed at the time of the phone call.  First reaction?  Run as fast as you can to that child's bed and shake the child, all while fumbling for test strips and a meter, and yelling for her to wake up!  That's the answer I would not only assume, but have heard from a T1D (Type 1 Diabetic) parent.   A parent who happens to be a friend.  A parent who, after receiving that exact phone call, called me devastated.  A parent whose ramblings were incoherent.  She was terrified!  This happens to other people.  People you don't know.  People you can't touch, and aren't real.  This is stuff on the news.  The news that is far, far, FARRRRRRR away!  That's who it happens  to.  Not to your friends, and definitely not to you.  Except. it did happen.  It happened in our own backyard.  It happened to a real, live person.  A person you care about.  A person you can touch, and hug, and cry for, and if it happened to that person....then surely it could happen to you....

Then you break down, and you wonder...

"What if this happens to me?"

 Now, more than ever, you set your sites on a cure.  You grasp on to what little hope you can that someday, if you do enough JDRF walks, and raise enough funds for these companies, that a cure will happen.  Preferably before your kid falls victim to Type 1 Diabetes.  During all of your research for cures you stumble upon a miracle.  A furry, four legged, squishy, puppy faced, MIRACLE.

Guardian Angel service Dogs

Their motto?

Building Relationships. Changing Perceptions. Enriching Lives.

What do they do? (from their site)

"Guardian Angel Service Dogs, Inc. is a fully incorporated 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to provide education and training about the role of service dogs and the different types of assistance they may provide to persons with health issues such as Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, Hypoglycemic
Unawareness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. It is important for the general public to know that people whose lives might be improved or even saved by having a service dog, may not have a visible disability. Health issues that are classified as disabilities by the American Disabilities Act (ADA) offer diagnosed individuals the legal entitlement to enjoy full public access with their service dogs."

A dog that can alert to changes in blood sugar!!  This is an answer to the prayers of so many T1D parents, and T1D adults!  No more worrying!  You might finally get a good nights sleep thanks to your loved one's new Guardian Angel.  Obviously, calling and learning more would be your next option, right?

RIGHT!

So, you get in touch with the company, and a few days later you receive an email from none other that Dan Warren himself!  He wants to chat with you personally about everything!  Wow!  This must be a great company if the owner of the non-profit chats with his clients personally!

And that motto at the bottom!!  "Until there is a cure... There is a dog.  Hope is good!
Wow!  Heart=Melt
Hope=Revived

Dan Warren is every mom's new hero!! 

Sign me up!

Then you receive your welcome letter.  That really makes it official. 

Only $1,000 to get a family on the list!  Can't put a price on peace of mind, right?

Wow!  This is a lot of information to take in, but can you imagine the excitement these families must have been feeling??  The fundraising ideas that were already filling their heads.  Their minds full of vivid images, and dreams of their child or loved one's savior, were becoming a reality with every passing minute.  Donation solicitation letters are already being drafted in your name, and a dream is now a reality.

Can you imagine getting hundreds, or even thousands of these sent out on your behalf?  Then news stations pick up your amazing story.  Fundraisers such as; 5K's, raffles, benefits, 50/50 drawings, home based business parties, etc... all getting set up.  An outpouring of love from the community begins to flow in, and all of the warm, fuzzy, feel goods, fill up your insides.  You are one step closer to having your mind put at ease.  All you need to do to be on the puppy list is simply raise your $1,000 deposit! 

A few days after your fundraising attempts start emails like the following start coming in. 

$1,000!!!!!!!  It's official!  Your family is on the list.  Now it's just a matter of waiting for your puppy!  In the meantime, you will be encouraged to fund raise, fund raise, fund raise.  

Then something magical happens.  You're just scrolling through facebook minding your own (and everyone else's) business, and BAM!  You see this!!

Could this be your litter??  You're back to that overwhelming feel of joy, and excitement.  This could be your litter!  It's just a matter of matching puppy temperaments with each family's specific needs.  Things don't get anymore nerve wracking, or exciting than this!!!  Just a few short weeks, and you will know if one of these sweet, perfect, life saving puppies, will find it's way into your home, and your heart.  You stalk The Warren Retrievers Facebook page every day until it happens!  Then when it does, you get to post this::

Heart=Melt

This family received their life saving news, and couldn't wait to share it with the world.  I can only imagine the excitement that the entire community felt for them.  They did, after all, help this family achieve their goal.  

Now the fun starts!!!  YAY!!!!!  

First, the families get a delivery date.  Like this family did:

Then the families start receiving more information.  One thing at a time.

 The first email a family usually gets is the one about the "care package"

It goes a little something like this::

How adorable!!  Puppy care packages, and it's all included in the fundraising totals!  Finally feels real now, doesn't it?  Better get those homes puppy-proofed, there's a playful, pint sized pup coming your way!  

After this letter is received, things start to pick up.  Family's must start prepping their homes, friends, family, community, and lives for this new addition.  It's just like having a new baby.  Except, this new baby is going to be under strict rules, special training, wearing training gear, and beginning it's journey to save the life of it's new human.  That's a lot of responsibility for a small pup, but thanks to Warren, it is possible.  The families are all anxious to see their new bundles.  They are always sending emails with questions about the training and arrival dates.  Who wouldn't want to get this party started???  Am I right?

Warren sends out emails to let all new owners, to inform them of what to expect, flight numbers, and other training related information.  This is an example of an email that one would receive prior to their new pup's  arrival.

Holy smokes!  Things are really starting to move fast.  Before you know it, this is what is happening::

Yes, you guessed it!  This is a Type 1 Diabetic child meeting her new, life saving, life changing puppy for the very first time.  This photo was taken in the airport the moment the puppy got off the plane.  Wipe the tear, it gets better. 

See, I told you.  

Now, imagine you have all of these emotions rushing through you you!  Imagine your state of mind.  Imagine the emotions that are taking over your thoughts.  Imagine how you would feel if you saw your child's savior staring you in the face. 

Can you imagine the load that has been lifted.  The idea that after a lot of hard work and aggressive training can lead to a peaceful night's sleep is more than any T1D parent could ever dream of...could ever hope for...could ever imagine!

Now, imagine speaking with the media about your miracle, introducing your pup to all of the local emergency management teams in the area.  Think about taking him to restaurants, book stores, Target, Walmart, and any other place your little heart can think of.  Spending 2 days of your time doing this training, visiting the vet, falling in love, and 

FINALLY.FEELING.HOPE.

Feels good doesn't it?

Now imagine the trainer looking at you, (right before leaving) throwing a stack of papers on the table and telling you, 

"This is your non-negotiable contract with Warren Retrievers.  Sign it before I leave, or you will forfeit the puppy, and I will be forced to take it back with me."

Wait, what? 

Yes, you just read that right.  A contract.... a contract that you will be strong armed into signing, or risk losing the life saving, NON-REFUNDABLE, puppy that you, AND your community worked so hard to get.  

What would you do?  

 Call a lawyer? The lawyer can't help...the contract is non-negotiable. 

So, not being a lawyer, and realizing that if you don't sign them, that your life saver will slip between your fingers, you'd probably sign them.  What else do you do?  Tell your child, husband, wife, sister, aunt, brother, mom, dad, whoever may have the disease, that they lost their last bit of hope?  No one is going to do that.  What's the worse that could happen anyway?  This is a legit 501(c) corporation.  They are producing beautiful, life saving animals, and making my family life saving promises.  Surely, a company wouldn't be cruel enough to lie....right?

Find out HERE.