‘Mancub’s first interactions weren’t with humans but with Fern. He had a sparkle in his eye we hadn’t seen before.
‘He is a true animal lover and prefers animals to people. He is now an excellent communicator with non-stop chattering.’
Fern was homed as a puppy in 2017 when Leon was a baby and they’ve grown up together.They love playing hide and seek and wearing matching outfits.
‘Amongst other things, she helps Mancub calm down when he has a meltdown often providing deep pressure stimulation, she guards the stairs to stop him hurting himself, she gets between him and the floor when he is trying to bang his head, and generally gives him comfort when needed.If your dog’s acting funny, get out the umbrella! According to a Petside.com/Associated Press poll, 72% of dog owners believe their dog can detect when stormy weather is on the way.
‘She has numerous routines and tasks that make our family life so much easier and she loves helping out. We couldn’t imagine not having her assistance now.
‘Mancub and Fern is a partnership that will keep getting stronger and stronger, in all honesty she is at her happiest when she’s with her boy. She just loves to help.‘Fern has completely transformed Mancub’s life.’ Hayley and husband Karsten want to help other autistic children and are fundraising for to provide assistance dog for other families.
A Facebook page they’ve created in tribute to Fern has more than 4,000 followers.
Hayley added: ‘Knowing what a huge difference Fern has made to our lives and especially Mancub’s, my dream was to help another family with an autistic child, who cannot afford to do this themselves, in the way that Fern has helped us.
‘Therefore since the start of lockdown Mancub and I have been making embroidered items to fundraise for the first T.A.P. Assistance Dog – a fully trained working cocker spaniel.INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: The red-eared slider is one of the most popular pet turtles in the United States. They grow to be a foot long and can live for up to 20 years.
‘We are now very close to getting another autistic child their very own ‘Fern’ and my dream is coming true.’
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