Man with cerebral palsy hopes to raise money for service dog

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) A 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy is raising money for a service dog.

Joe Fitch loves pets and is a huge football and wrestling fan. Joe was born with cerebral palsy. A strong desire to become independent led to Joe wanting a service dog.

According to Joe's mother, although his communication can be challenging his mind is sharp. Feeling that he was ready to be more self-sufficient, they began researching service dogs that can help him with that independence.

After extensive research the family found a service dog organization that they were comfortable with. However, they found out that service dogs cost thousands of dollars. Undaunted, Joe began the process of raising the money with a You Caring account.

On his own Joe began reaching out to everyone from politicians to celebrities, but so far no luck on that front.

Then, Joe tweeted FOX 29 and we wanted to see if we could help him spread the word about his You Caring page.

So far, Joe has raised nearly $2,000 of the needed $10,000 and his hope is that people watching will share his page on social media, make a small donation if possible and help give him a chance to, in his mother's words, no longer be trapped.