It’s no secret that dogs can make pretty amazing companion animals. Goodness knows they are always down for a good play session. If you’re upset, they sense it and quickly lend a comforting paw. And of course, they provide unconditional love, no spoken words required. While everyone can enjoy the companionship of a dog, certain people truly transform in the presence of a dog. There are seniors who may not have as much interaction in their old age and truly cherish having a friend around that they can walk, feed, and care for just like they cared for their children all those years ago. And we’ve seen several instances where children with autism who don’t feel comfortable interacting with the people around them can suddenly open their heart to a dog and in turn, more of their peers and family members.
Knowing that a dog can have such a transformative effect on people, especially children, many parents of autistic children look to service dogs. These parents will seek out these dogs no matter the amount of effort required because the experience of witnessing your child suddenly becoming affectionate, is incomparable. Recently, 4 Paws For Ability, an organization that places trained service dogs with children shared an incredible story on their Facebook page.
A woman with a five-year-old autistic child went above and beyond to get her little one a service dog. Mother and son flew across the entire ocean, stopped in multiple states, and uprooted their entire routine to travel the globe for the dog. They made such an effort to get the pup because her son is having a bit of a tough time in life. He has a difficult time interacting affectionately with his family, he has faced countless adults who do not understand him or value him because he is different, and he has not had the best luck making friends of his own age, either.
Well, despite all of this, the little guy certainly had no trouble showing affection to his new service dog, Tornado! In fact, he immediately lay down with him, an action that touched his mother so deeply, she couldn’t help but cry!
We would recap how this mother must have felt, but we think she did a pretty good job of that herself. Along with the photo, this dedicated mom revealed what it was like witnessing this moment:
“This picture captures the face of a mother who saw her child, who she can’t hug, wash, dress, snuggle and touch freely lay on his new Service dog of his own free will, with a purposeful unspoken attachment. This is the face of a mom who has seen her son experience countless failed social interactions on the playground in an attempt to have a friend. Any friend. Any kind of connection… And now she is sitting behind her son silently watching this moment, with the air sucked from her lungs, and no words to say.”
Wow! It’s amazing how something like lying with a dog may not be a big deal to one person but is completely life changing for another! This beautiful moment truly reveals how amazing having an animal in one’s life can be. We wish this precious family nothing but the best in the future. With Tornado by their side, we have no doubt that happier days are ahead! To learn more about 4 Paws For Ability or Donate to their cause, click here.
Image source: 4 Paws For Ability/Facebook
I HATE those facial leashes..we never had to put one on any of our dogs, they are useless devices for lazy humans who will not take the time to train their dog properly. I would love to wrap one round the face under the eyes of every human i see with a dog wearing one! if your idea of restraining your dog is to cause it discomfort, DONT GET A DOG!