The special relationship between a sick child and his dog Juno. Anyone who has taken a dog or a cat from a shelter can testify that there is something special about a rescued pet, It is as if animals feel that it has been given a second chance in life. This is certainly the case of Juno, a Belgian Malinois who was rescued from a shelter just a few days before his sacrifice. But from the day he came to live with his family in Alcoa, Tennessee, Juno has assumed the role of Savior of Lucas Hembree, a four-year-old boy.
Lucas suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited disorder of metabolism, which causes the body to be unable to properly break down long chains of sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans.. As the disease progresses, children lose the ability to speak, walking and eating. The disease also causes a severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and convulsions.
"The most catastrophic thing is when we find out that our son's illness has no cure or treatment available", saith the father of Lucas.
Unless changes, not expected that Lucas live beyond the age of 15 years and may be in a vegetative state at the time that reaches the age of eight. To realize that every moment is precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, They want their child to experience as much as he can while he still has the ability to enjoy life..
So when the disease began to take its toll on Lucas's joints, Chester considered the idea of โโgetting a โhelp dogโ to help Lucas when he walked.. "I was told that a 'help dog' would cost me at least US $ 15.000, and that the candidate for Lucas was not a guarantee to avoid the deterioration of his abilities and behavior,ยป dice Chester. "I refused to accept this answer."
Persistence led Chester to find Juno. "I came across a post about him on a rescue group's website.", says. ยซI had the need to go see this dog.ยป
The family made the journey two hours to go see Juno, It was a refuge to the East of Tennessee. "I was emaciated, and days away from being sacrificed", says Chester. "He had been surrendered to the shelter because his previous owners did not understand Malinois".
Fortunately, Chester made. He had come to know and love the breed while working as a police officer years before.. ยซI used to help in training police K-9, and our dogs were Belgian Malinoisesยป, says. ยซI loved his desire to work and his attitudeยป. In addition to being a popular choice for police dogs, the race is often used in combat. In fact, It is believed that the dog that helped the Navy SEALs to finish with Osama Bin Laden was a Malinois.
But while race has demonstrated his skill in the patrol and combat, Chester needed to make sure Juno would be a suitable โhelp dogโ for his child.. "I put a loose leash on him and he accompanied me", says Chester. ยซThen came Lucas's test. They were immediately, like soulmates."
The Hembrees brought him home and Juno turned to affection from the first moment. "I wanted to make sure he would have plenty of time to adjust to the family before formal training began.",ยป dice Chester. But, From the beginning it seemed like there was something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester is Juno circling around Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. ยซHe was moaning and pushing Lucas with his noseยป, says Chester. "I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low." After giving oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him affectionately giving some lametazos.
"That's when I knew Juno had the ability to capture Lucas' neurological changes.", says Chester. ยซNow it tells us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or when his oxygen levels fall very low. He has saved him several times.
Juno has become a strong support for Lucas, and it has a calming influence when the child is busy. And while Chester ensures that Juno available free time, He says it's hard to get Juno to leave Lucas' side.. ยซThey can't see each other without each otherยป, says. "It really feels like her destiny is to watch over Lucas."
To learn more about Lucas can go to the page of Facebook her father writes from the perspective of Lucas.
Via: vetstreet.com
Other links: Pet Safety Guide, Pet Safety in Cars
Photos: Courtesy of the Hembree family