A three-year-old girl with severe brain damage has walked the distance of a marathon thanks to her assistance dog.
Izzy was born 16 weeks premature and has a complex neurodisability, which means she cannot talk or walk by herself. Izzy’s mother, Heather, uses a harness to help her daughter cover the distance of more than 26 miles in a month.
Pawsitive Squad CIC, a nonprofit organization run by Heather which supports young disabled people with assistance dogs, raised £2,750 thanks to Izzy completing the challenge in a month.
“Even things like holding her head up for that duration of time is physically so hard for Izzy,” Heather told BBC News. “It’s helped me realize that the sky is the limit.”
Heather was the one who trained their family dog, Pepsi, to help Izzy sit up and get dressed. Pepsi, who is a springador (mixed Labrador Retriever and Springer Spaniel), can also tell if Izzy is about to have a seizure.
You might want to read:
– Malaysia’s first recognized guide dog dies after serving human for six years
– Dogs can detect ‘epileptic odor’ humans emit during seizures
– Police officer has ‘feeding program’ for stray dogs
