This ‘Colonel’ Dog Therapy Animal Helped Caleb Learn To Play Again
Six-year-old Caleb suffered several broken bones and a traumatic brain injury in a head-on car collision. The little boy was almost unresponsive and making little progress toward recovery until a very special Colonel arrived. Colonel was a Golden Retriever trained as a dog therapy animal by the Daynes family.
This family’s son, Tim, was paralyzed in a swimming accident. After the family saw how Tim’s service dog Yaz positively impacted his life, they dedicated their lives to helping others through the puppies they raised and the dogs they trained.
Colonel had an uncanny ability to access what humans needed and how to provide it. Someone suggested that this remarkable dog might be just the therapist little Caleb needed. From the very first therapy session, the two shared, the unresponsive boy ‘came alive’. All of a sudden, Caleb’s family could hope again – hope that their son would not only survive his injuries but also recover.
Therapy was just one more part of the strange and painful medical environment that was Caleb’s new world. When Colonel arrived, therapy suddenly became playtime! Caleb managed to uncurl his fingers so he could pet Colonel. He relearned how to move his arms so he could throw a ball. He crawled and then walked beside his new friend.
Colonel brought awareness, then excitement, and finally, joy back to Caleb’s life. The unique bond between these two shows just what kind of healing power animals can have in human lives. If you have a dog, contact Canine Commander. Like Colonel, your pet can learn to recognize and respond to what you need with the proper training.