The Milo Foundation

  Clifford  featured below with: Kristin M. Clawson

Clifford was born April 23 1998 at 12:30 a.m. He was the last of the puppies to be born and the runt of the
litter. (Btw, Clifford's siblings were born the day before starting at 9:00pm that night. His litter was 10 total)
He was so tiny and was so frail that we took Clifford to the emergency vet that night and we were told he
wouldn't make it, I wouldn't take that as an answer so I said "What can we do to give this dog a chance?"
The vet advised us to start feeding him formula (human) from a nose tube and then start bottle feeding a
week after that.

We took him home and made him comfortable, staying up all night with him to feed him. The next day we
took him back to his litter where he was continued to be looked after. Week goes by and 2 vet appt later he
had gained 5 ounces! (You have to realise that Clifford was only a few ounces at birth, compared to his
brother Baron who was over a pound!)

We kept up our regimen and he made great strides. By the time he was 4 weeks old he was playing with his
siblings and nursing from his mother. Life was looking great for him. Our son Yossi, named Clifford (From
Clifford the Big Red Dog books) He was 3 and he loved puppy Clifford more than we did at the time. He
couldn't say Clifford's name correctly, (He was calling him Gifford or Quifford) and we thought, why are you
calling him that?  He ran to the car and got a book out, came back and said very loudly, QUIFFORD THE
BIG RED DOG! We finally found out what he meant and he could only respond back by calling us "
Boneheads." It was a funny day indeed. :D

When we brought Clifford home for good, life was all but. He decided he wasn't going to be potty trained,
(must have been the pre-mee diapers that he wore the first couple of weeks.....) and his new toy was the
trash can. My husband wanted to ring this dogs neck! We had a few months of frustrations with him because
no matter how hard we tried he didn't take to any obedience training whats so ever. (He was too young for
the classes at this time because he was only 3-4 months old.) We were torn about keeping this dog because
we were sick and tired of picking up doggy doo-doo and garbage from him. (His nickname when he was little
was GARBAGE DOG ) Finally at 5 months we decided we'll try obedience dog courses to see if this would
improve his behaviour. We were in our 5th obedience training class when our instructor, (I believe her name
was Susan) asked if there was anything special our dogs did for us. One man said, "My dog can fetch his
food bowl and bring it to me when he's hungry." Another person said "My dog can let me know when
someone is coming up the walkway." When it came to our turn, we decided to mention that I was disabled
(Spinal Cord Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Partial Mal Seizures) and that Clifford would jump on me or on my
lap and alert me to when I was about to seizure. Our obedience teacher asked us to repeat what we had just
said and after we did, she said firmly that she wanted us to stay after class. I thought "uh-oh we're in
trouble", for what though, I had no idea.  At the end of class, our instructor said that she could no longer
train Clifford.  She told us if Clifford was truly doing this, then he needed to start training in a more
specialized course. She asked me to explain my disability and after I did, she told us (Ken my husband was
with me) about Dana and Larry Babb.  She said that Clifford would fit right in to their training methods and to
contact them right away as they rarely have space in their training programmes.  Ken and I contacted them
and our instructor was right, no room at the moment but in 8 weeks they would have a new class and that
Clifford would be welcomed to join them.  2 months flew right on by and we where starting a new life with
Clifford.
He did so well in their programme that he was in the field before he was a year old. (around 10 months old)

Clifford has faced alot of milestones in his life, he was with me in hospital when I had my second child Noah.
The doctors and nurses were nervous but once they got to meet and know Clifford that all faded away. T
hey all fell in love with him and when we left they all came by to say good-bye to Clifford. (I had a seizure in
hospital and Clifford had to notify the nurses that I was in trouble, they said he did a great job at that.)
Clifford has also traveled to Canada and across the U.S. He has been the inspiration for my mother in law
and her reason to get a Pit bull as a pet too. These pictures of Clifford were taken in Chicago at the Field
Museum and at the Museum of Science and Industry.  

Everyone who has gotten to know Clifford is amazed and touched by what a Pit bull can do and how they
can have a positive impact on the community.  Now Clifford and I have faced plenty of discrimination
because of his breed and that he is also a dog, we have been denied access to many places but welcomed
to so much more. Clifford has helped change minds with regards to what a service dog can be.  Most people
when they think service dog think of a Lab or a Shepard, some people have seen  Doberman Pinscher's
included in that bunch, but a Pit bull as a service dog?  NEVER. In fact, the number of Pit bulls that are
service dogs is very low, but my mission in life is to change that.

Sadly Clifford is being retired because he is going deaf. (At his last vet appt his hearing loss was at 85%.) If
he can't hear he can't be an affective service dog. The good news is because Clifford wasn't given to me
from a school or a service dog breeder, I get to keep him. My husband and I are looking for another dog and
its going very slowly because I don't want to offend my current dogs feelings.  When we do find a dog
Clifford will be part of the process in choosing my new dog. (He has every right to...He is going to help train
the new dog too.) I feel very blessed that Clifford has had the ability to help change laws, minds and
attitudes about Pit Bulls. When I first contacted this website I saw something in Milo that I saw in Clifford all
those many years ago. An animal that can make a difference. I told Greta that like Clifford, Milo has a
chance to make the community see Pit bulls in a positive light too. Not as a service animal, (Milo's owner
would need to be disabled and Milo can't really have any disabilities either.) but as a therapy dog. Milo looks
to have a great sense of happiness and a can-do attitude that I hope one day (If Milo's owner decides to do
this) to see Milo working as a therapy dog. If you give these dogs love and a future you will get so much in
return. I have a feeling that Cilfford in his own right is a pioneer. Lets hope that Milo can continue to carrying
on that torch. I f not as a therapy dog then as a great pet.

Thank you so much for considering Clifford has a Hero angel. Clifford is my hero and my angel and I love
him sometimes more than life itself.

Sincerely,

Kristin M. Clawson