Dogs Helps Young Boy with Autism

Just an amazing story of how this wonderful dog is helping a little boy and his mother.

TUCSON - Malcolm Turner is 6-years old and has autism. On Monday, Mr. Darcy, his golden Labrador retriever was certified as his Handi-Dog. The organization helps pair families with dogs and then trains the K-9 to assist a person with their disability.
Mr. Darcy has been with the Turner family since he was just eight weeks old. "People don't realize how much work it takes not just training the dog but training the child how to interact," said Jessica, Malcolm's mother.

Dog Helps Open World for Girl with Autism

EDMOND, Okla. -- Experts delivered devastating news about the virtually silent 5-year-old Joy Lauffenburger.
They told her parents that Joy had overwhelming problems.
Borderline intelligence. Delusional. Thought disorders.
And they weren't sure how to fix those problems and others.
"We kind of knew in our hearts that they weren't right. But they were the experts," said Melinda Lauffenburger. "We were the first-time parents."

Family Receives Free Autism Service Dog

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - For Brockport resident Amy Johnson and her husband, Hal, life has not always been easy. Their 17-year-old daughter, Amber Wicks, has a rare brain disorder causing seizures, and their 7-year-old son, Rex, was diagnosed with autism when he was just 2.

Johnson says Rex is non-verbal and has a tendency to run away when faced with even small challenges, so safety has always been an issue. "When he was little, we were able to catch him, but now that he is faster, bigger and stronger, we have to keep locks on all of the doors to keep him safe."

But life is about to get significantly better for Rex and his family. Last month, Johnson found out Rex had won a free therapy dog from Siberian Snow Babies, a company that sells and trains autism service dogs. Johnson says she knew a dog would help her son but the cost — $20,000 to cover a full year of specialized training — was prohibitive.

As Johnson was researching dogs and planning fundraisers, she saw the Snow Babies' ad for a nationwide giveaway as a promotion to raise autism awareness. She immediately applied, creating a video of Rex interacting with dogs and assembling more than 20 pages of documentation and letters from Rex's doctors, teachers and friends.

"We were floored and shocked that we won this dog," Johnson says. They found out mid-May that out of all the applications, Rex was chosen to receive James, a newborn puppy that will be trained to specifically meet Rex's needs.

A Truly Dynamic Duo

This is just too good to pass up. And, I confess, I'm a sucker for animal stories.

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The more you learn about Joy Lauffenburger and her dog, Goldie, the more amazed you will be.
Joy is an 18-year-old high school senior from Oklahoma who was diagnosed with autism as a 7-year-old. Goldie is her closest friend, a 9-year-old basenji mix who at one point was in a high-kill shelter, on the verge of being euthanized, and who has become a certified therapy and service dog. More, though, she has become the love of Joy's life.
"The way their relationship evolved was better than anyone could have dreamed of," says Liz Newton, president of Basenji Rescue and Transport, a national organization that saves some 300 basenjis a year.