By Jessica Kellogg -
Charlie is an outdoorsy kid; he loves to swim, camp, and fish. He is the middle of three brothers and loves animals. Charlie also has autism. He often struggles in public situations, especially where he is expected to stay calm and regulated. For years, this has meant that he would elope if a situation became overwhelming. “I can’t tell you the number of times he just disappeared,” says Charlie’s mom, Katie. “It almost got to the point where I stopped panicking, so we had to stop doing all the typical fun kid things.”
When Charlie was 7 years old, a school principal told Katie about Can Do Canines, and how his son, Samuel, was actually paired with Reno, the first Autism Assist Dog Can Do Canines trained. Samuel and Reno’s story gave Katie a glimmer of hope that maybe an assistance dog would help get Charlie back out into the world. “I wanted Charlie to really experience the world. [As a family] we love to get out and do things, and I want him and his brothers to experience all that in a relaxed way.”
It would be nearly five years of Charlie asking every month if there was a dog available for him before he would meet the black labrador, Rully. “Right away, Charlie was on the floor with Rully, they were both so excited,” says Katie, recalling the day Charlie first met Autism Assist Dog Rully. “There were lots and lots of hugs.”
While the love between them was clear from the start, the transition to having Rully in their home wasn’t without hiccups. “I think Charlie wanted an instant best friend, so it was hard for him to wait for that bond to grow,” explains Katie. “But watching Rully transition from following me around the house to understanding that Charlie is his person has been wonderful.”
Before Rully came home, Katie was nervous that adding a dog would just increase the energy level at home. “Charlie is always moving. But Rully? He’s a bit of a slug, I’ve never seen him worked up.” Instead of adding to the excitement, Rully has been a calming presence in their home. “Charlie can read Rully’s calm and now can regulate and calm himself to match the dog.”
Since being matched with Rully, Charlie has not tried to elope once, though if he did, Rully is trained to anchor a tethered Charlie in a spot to keep him safe. “I can breathe,” says Katie, describing how, when frustrated or overwhelmed, instead of falling back on stimming or eloping behaviors, Charlie will find Rully and hug him. “He’s more independent and more capable of regulating. He’s just calm around the dog.” Charlie is also very proud of Rully and enjoys showing him to people. Katie hopes that this will eventually help Rully to serve as an icebreaker when Charlie is making new friends.
“I can’t even begin to thank all the volunteers and staff at Can Do Canines,” says Katie. “How do you when saying ‘thank you’ isn’t enough? They give their time and homes and their love to someone else’s dog. It’s incredible. We are going to love Rully and give him the best life. He’s got a best friend in Charlie.”
Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Whelping Home — Rick & Patti Dougherty
Raisers — Ryan Darley, Kristina Kiefer
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution, Stanley Correctional Institution
Team Sponsor — John Manthey, in Memory of Bonnie Manthey
Name-A-Puppy Donor — Geri Burke
David and Niles enjoy their new adventure together
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