Coeur d'Alene raised $20,000 in 48 hours for a 6-year-old's seizure-alert dog

Emmy Keating is nonverbal and has seizures in her sleep. Her community covered the family's $20,000 share of a trained service dog in two days.

Verified · Source: Coeur d'Alene PressOct 6, 2026 · 1 min read

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Aerial view of a rocky, tree-dotted shoreline meeting deep blue water on Lake Coeur d'Alene — Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Illustrative photo of the area. It does not show Emmy, her family, or her service dog. Jason Patrick Schuller / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

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Emmy Keating is 6 and was born with Coffin-Siris syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She is nonverbal and was recently diagnosed with epilepsy, with seizures that come while she sleeps, so her parents can't always tell when she needs help. The Coeur d'Alene Press reported on October 6, 2026, that the nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability can train a dog to detect her seizures by scent and alert them. The group covers the first $20,000 of the dog's cost, and families raise the rest.

Her mother, Kacey Keating, expected a long fight. Emmy's aunt and grandmother own Breaking Bread Artisan Bistro and shared the fundraiser on its Facebook page. The family reached $20,000 in 48 hours. "I had no idea how Coeur d'Alene would show up," Keating told the paper.

The family now waits 12 to 14 months to be matched with a dog, then trains for 10 days in Ohio. A second fundraiser is raising $8,000 for that trip.