Best Friends Forever

By Candace Weselowski

Many a pet owner can easily attest to the joy, companionship and friendship a dog can bring into their lives.  In December 2010, a five year old autistic boy and his family discovered why dogs are often referred to as man’s best friend.

Kyle Richardson was diagnosed as autistic when he was three years old and exhibited many common symptoms of the disorder. He was non-verbal, had difficulty making friends and interacting with others, and at times, he could become aggressive. There were times when Kyle would wander away from home and not be able to find his way back. In addition, Kyle didn't have a sense of road safety. Search parties and emergency personnel were always able to find Kyle, but his mother Dusti worried that there would come a time when they would not be so lucky.

Dusti began looking into getting a trained service dog to assist Kyle, and though they were approved to receive one, they were told it could take three years before one was provided. In addition, it would require many trips to Ontario to pick out the perfect companion. That was just too far to travel on a regular basis, and too long to wait. In the meantime, Kyle's mother did everything she could to protect Kyle. She installed extra locks on the doors, alarms on the windows and a video surveillance system to help prevent him from wandering away from home. She also began to research different types of dogs to find out which breeds had the calm personality that would be suitable for the family.

While browsing The Winnipeg Humane Society's Facebook page, Dusti came across an adorable four month old black lab named Delilah and thought she could possibly make a great friend for her sons.On December 28, Dusti took both her sons to The WHS to meet Delilah.The bond between Delilah and Kyle was instant.

Taking Delilah into a room where they could interact with her one on one, Kyle fell completely in love with her, telling his mom “home” while gently stroking Delilah's fur. Before she knew it, Dusti was being led by an excited Kyle through The WHS gift shop to pick out toys and items for their new pet. When Delilah got home with her new family, it was like she was always meant to be with the Richardsons. While she was initially quiet and a little startled by the noises Kyle made during her first week home, some treats and some bonding time indoors with her new owners eased Delilah into her new settings fairly quickly. In fact, after only her fourth day home, she demonstrated just how special she is. Kyle began to have an intense meltdown. Delilah, sensing it immediately, slowly crawled onto Kyle's lap and began licking his face. Kyle began to relax. Realizing the amazing thing that Delilah was doing, Dusti gave her a treat and began training her right away. The next time Kyle began to cry, Delilah did the same thing. Now, after only five months together, Delilah is able to stop Kyle from trying to leave home or she lets Kyle's parents know when he is trying to leave. She is also able to stop Kyle from having a meltdown before it even begins. Even more amazingly, Kyle is becoming increasingly verbal from learning to give Delilah commands, and is more aware of safety as he looks out for Delilah's well-being. Before Delilah, Kyle did not have a sense of road safety and would not look out for cars before crossing the street. Now, he stops and looks because he wants to make sure Delilah is safe. Delilah won't even cross until Kyle tells her “safe.” Owning Delilah has been life-changing for Kyle and his entire family.

While Dusti has been able to train Delilah to help Kyle at home and around the neighborhood, she wishes she had the significant amount of time and the funds required to fully train Delilah to become a registered service dog. If Delilah were a registered service dog, she would be able to travel with Kyle into public places such as restaurants and stores. Still, Delilah has made life so much easier for the entire family and Kyle loves any opportunity to tell
others about his friend.

Reflecting on the transitions of the last few months, Dusti says, “I know in my heart that Delilah has saved Kyle's life over and over and for that, she will always be my hero. Delilah has found her forever home and I can't thank The Winnipeg Humane Society enough for taking such good care of her until we found each other!”

Man's best friend indeed.

A New Friend, A New Life

The special bond between dogs and children has been evident for decades, and according to Christine Armstrong, Director of Community Services for St. John Ambulance in Winnipeg, this bond can be absolutely priceless to families who need extra help with children who have special needs.
Christine, who has been training therapy dogs for years, also has a son with autism and can relate to Dusti's story first-hand. She said dogs can make incredible changes in autistic children from increasing their eye contact to positively reinforcing the idea of physical touch. “They can open up the social world as well. I know my dog makes my son feel much safer and secure outside of our home which has helped integrate him into the community.”

While Christine's dog can flush toilets, turn off lights, and close the fridge, she explains there are so many ways a dog can bring a therapeutic element to a home. “Aside from being a constant companion, things like chores can become more fun by involving your pet. In our house, our dog even helps with laundry!”

Christine was especially ecstatic that a shelter dog, who would otherwise have been homeless, was able to make such a difference in the life of a child. She is thankful for shelter dogs and the new life they are able to breathe into the homes of families everywhere, whether they will become highly-trained therapy dogs or will simply act as friends or companions for the people who need them most.

St. John Ambulance and The Winnipeg Humane Society have held a partnership for several years in the operation of See Spot Read, a program that brings trained therapy dogs to The WHS shelter to allow children who are struggling with reading a relaxed opportunity to read to dogs.