A 9-year-old New Zealand boy who doesn’t speak and recoils when touched by people has had his life transformed by a black labrador named Mahe.
James Isaac’s family brought Mahe into their home two and a half years ago after he was trained for six months by the Assistance Dogs New Zealand program to assist children with autism.
Since then, their bond has strengthened to the point where James’ autism symptoms have been greatly reduced by the nonstop comfort his best friend provides.
Speaking to Stuff New Zealand, his mother Michelle states that going out in public with James prior to Mahe was a nightmare.
“We couldn’t even go to a cafe as a family. James would get very anxious and want to leave immediately. But when we got Mahe, James would just sit there waiting for us to finish our coffee.”
The two are so inseparable Mahe was allowed to join James at the Wellington Children’s Hospital as he underwent an MRI to diagnose the cause of his seizures.
The pictures (courtesy of Wellington Hospital’s Louisse Goossens) make me miss my dog.
[h/t LADbible]