MTN News recently brought you the story of a Lolo family who just got their service dog, Marnie.
The process took thousands of dollars and years of patience for the family -- and they’re still getting help.
Robbie Claswon, is a 16-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, Gorlin’s syndrome, epilepsy, and the second recorded case of a deleted chromosome.
"I think it’s really amazing the community still is giving and supporting. You kind of think after you’ve gone through the journey of fundraising and getting the dog, everything kind of goes to the wayside," Robbie's mother, Robin MacMillan, said. "So it's really awesome just to see that people are still supporting us."
The fundraising effort raised $17,000 to train Marnie in Ohio and on Sunday, PetSmart gave the family $400 to get what they need for her.
Dog trainer Logan Hadley brought Robbie, Marnie, and his mom Robin around to the Missoula store.
"I’ve been kind of following the Facebook story. I was reading some news articles on it this morning, getting a little teary eyed," Hadley said. "How this has come full circle for Robbie is just so, so wonderful."
The crew picked up treats, toys and looked at beds -- all with a pre-loaded gift card that won’t expire.
Hadley said it’s getting more expensive and difficult to get a service dog and the store was happy to help.
"It's really amazing how the entire community came together for them. And now he can have the sense of stability and have this dog that is going to help him live his life. And as a dog trainer, oh it's just amazing," Hadley told MTN News.
The family was sure to thank PetSmart for the donation. They only spent $179 of the $400, so they plan to stop back when they run out of food.
Marnie's next big adventure is joining Robbie at school in December.
