Girls write book about neighborhood dogs, donate money to Service Dogs Alabama

Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read

The group of girls sat on the floor, each clutching a five-week-old puppy. The Labrador mixes squirmed in the girls hands and let out joyful little yips.

It was their first time outside the office where they have spent their lives at Service Dogs Alabama in Hope Hull. But the neighborhood gals were not just there to play with puppies. They had raised $510 for the organization.

The girls wrote a book called Dogs on Myrtlewood, which was inspired by their neighborhood dogs. "There's all these dogs on the street with fun personalities," said Tyler Ficklin, the mom who spurred the girls to action.

The girls went door to door selling the books. It will also soon be available at Apropos in Cloverdale, but at the moment they're sold out.

They decided to give the money to Service Dogs Alabama because Alice Reid, 10, has a dog named Lacey who they adopted from the group after she did not make the cut to become a service dog, Reid said.

Maggie Mantooth and Celeste Oborn cuddle puppies as they visit Service Dogs Alabama, in Hope Hull on Saturday to donate money they raised by writing a book about the dogs in their neighborhood.
Maggie Mantooth and Celeste Oborn cuddle puppies as they visit Service Dogs Alabama, in Hope Hull on Saturday to donate money they raised by writing a book about the dogs in their neighborhood.

Maggie Mantooth, 11, wrote the book, and the group proofread it together, coming up with ideas for photos of the dogs. They even filmed a commercial.

Service Dogs Alabama trains dogs for people with PTSD, mobility issues, seizures and autism, said Ira Verbois, the executive director. His organization also provides dogs for hospitals, schools and courtrooms.

The dogs serve more than 29,000 students in Alabama.

But besides donations, the group needs volunteers to play with the puppies and socialize them. People can apply to volunteer on the website at www.servicedogsalabama.org.

"And of course we're all dog crazy," Ficklin said Saturday when the girls presented their check to the organization.

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Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Girls write book, donate money to Service Dogs Alabama