North Liberty Lions raising money to purchase service dog for resident

NORTH LIBERTY - Todd Bevans and his service dog, Arvo, had a special bond. Now a local service club hopes to help create a new bond between man and canine.

Bevans, who is blind, faithfully relied on Arvo for six years. But over the holidays, Arvo began getting confused and acting strangely, said Robin Nisius, Bevans' mother, who lives in Solon.

On Jan. 20, Arvo was diagnosed with brain tumors at the Iowa State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Ames. The neurologist said Arvo's tumors would only allow him a few weeks to live. That's when they decided to end Arvo's suffering and made the difficult decision to put Arvo down.

Arvo allowed Bevans to be completely independent, his mother said.

'It was tough, but that's what we finally ended up doing and since then, Todd is just heartbroken,” Nisius said.

Now, the North Liberty Lions Club is raising money to purchase a new service dog for Bevans. The goal is to raise $25,000.

Bevans, 38, has been blind since he was in a car accident almost 10 years ago.

'He was working as an ironworker and was driving home from work on Labor Day Weekend in 1998 and hit head on with a farm truck and sustained a very traumatic severe brain injury,” Nisius said. 'He was in a coma for several months, in rehab for a couple years and ended up having a brain injury and being legally blind.”

Bevans lives on his own in a mobile home at Holiday Mobile Home Park in North Liberty.

Initially, the North Liberty Lions Club was raising money to help with Arvo's medical bills. Now, the goal is to raise money to pay for a new service dog. A GoFundMe page has been set up and can be found under Todd's Service Dog Project on the site. In addition, part of the proceeds from purchases at Bluebird Café in North Liberty on Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 are helping to support the cause.

'I think it's a great way to support and encourage an individual who has had some rough times,” said Ryan Veatch, committee chair of the Lions project.

The Lions Club kicked off the fundraising effort with a $250 donation. It was matched by Blink Vision Optometry Clinic in North Liberty, which Veatch owns.

Bevans said the support he's received was unexpected.

'I never thought this would happen to a blind guy like me,” he said. 'I'm just going to have an opportunity to thank everybody. It's nice to be able to say thank you.”

WANT TO HELP?

To donate toward the purchase of a new service dog for Todd Bevans, go to Todd's Service Dog Project at GoFundMe.com