Hounds Town Charities Partners With Fellow Nonprofit Organizations to Make an 8-Year-Old Cancer Patient’s Doggie Dreams Come True!

Here’s the kind of heartwarming story we love to share best!

Earlier this year, Hounds Town USA got involved with an initiative to help one little girl dealing with cancer find the financial aid and service dog that could greatly improve her quality of life.

Hounds Town USA has been helping eight-year-old Cianna Rengifo get the assistance dog she’s always wanted after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer known as telangiectatic osteosarcoma. The initiative to help Cianna began earlier this year with a number of different nonprofits on board.

With the goal of raising $10,000 to put toward training Cianna’s new service dog, Hounds Town USA teamed up with Campaign One at a Time, a nonprofit that provides positive experiences and fulfills the dreams of children fighting life-threatening illnesses, and Merlin’s KIDS, a nonprofit organization focused on providing specially trained service dogs to children in need. Cianna’s mother, Kimberly, was also diagnosed with breast cancer as the campaign was coming together, and the organizations plan to assist the family in any way they can at this terrible time.

Campaign One at a Time

Campaign One at a Time is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to ensure that no kid suffering from a life-threatening illness feels alone. Hundreds of children and their families have benefited from Campaign One At A Time so far across the United States. Their campaigns have resulted in the donation of musical instruments and music lessons to children, the provision of Thanksgiving meals to families with children in the hospital, the assistance with memorial costs after a child has died of cancer, the transportation of children and their families to Disneyland, and much more. It’s only natural that Quest One At A Time got involved in our campaign to get Cianna a service dog because they aid youngsters with life-threatening illnesses.

Merlin’s KIDS

Merlin’s KIDS is a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering service dogs to people in need who have been specially trained. Merlin’s KIDS makes a difference in the lives of dogs by rescuing them from shelters, teaching them, and giving them a purpose in life. With a lifelong dedication to love, care for, and aid children with diseases or special needs, these exceptional dogs help alter the lives of both the children and the veterans they serve. Bringing Merlin’s KIDS on board to assist Cianna was a no-brainer!

Hounds Town USA

The initiative to help Cianna wasn’t the first time Hounds Town USA has gotten involved in charity work. In fact, the team first met Cianna and her family at another charity initiative fundraiser.

“Hounds Town USA has been a corporate sponsor for One at a Time for about three years, and I’m also a chair of the organization,” said Jackie Bondanza, the CEO of Hounds Town USA, “Hounds Town USA hosted a BBQ fundraiser for One at a Time East in Long Island this year, and that is where we met Cianna and her family.”

Last year, One at a Time collaborated with Merlin’s KIDS on a similar initiative to assist Key’Air, a Long Island child battling cancer, connect with his new service dog Dexter. Cianna fell in love immediately when the family met Key and Dexter at the BBQ fundraiser, according to Kimberly.

“We had two dogs when Cianna was growing up, but they’ve since passed away,” said Kimberly, “Especially with everything we have going on right now, a service dog would be an incredible benefit for Cianna. Not only will a service dog provide emotional support and companionship, but it will also offer physical support as Cianna needs a lot of assistance with her leg brace and medical devices.” 

A service dog might also be trained to detect a recurrence of Cianna’s cancer, according to Kimberly. Unfortunately, osteosarcoma has a history of recurrence even after treatment. Cianna’s life would be transformed if she knew her family had a service dog that could identify a recurrence without the need for endless checkups and damaging radiography.

Hounds Town USA and One at a Time aimed to raise the last $10,000 necessary to ensure Cianna’s needs can be met. Merlin’s KIDS provided a discount on the service dog training portion, and Hounds Town USA and One at a Time aimed to raise the remaining $10,000 needed to ensure Cianna’s dream comes true. Starting back on February 1st, Hounds Town USA and One at a Time has begun receiving donations through the One at a Time East Facebook and Instagram accounts. Donations can also be made directly on the campaign’s website.

This initiative demonstrates that anything is possible and that there are people eager to assist. Hounds Town USA wants to continue to raise cancer awareness while also expressing gratitude to the community for rallying around Cianna’s family. Hounds Town USA believes it owes it to the communities it serves to give back, including opportunities to assist both dogs and people in need. Hounds Town’s corporate team and franchise owners see ourselves as more than just cogs in a business wheel. We want to be a vital part of the community, and this campaign is a terrific way to accomplish so by providing a brave and inspiring family with the love and companionship of a service dog. Cianna is deserving of having a canine best friend, and as a doggie daycare company, we want to assist her in any way we can.

As a pet care franchise, Hounds Town’s goal is to do more than just be a business. We want to give back to our community – and you can help by becoming a Franchise Owner and getting involved with Hounds Town Charities. Get in touch with our team today to learn more.