“Warrior puppy” rescued from death brings new hope for 8-year-old autistic boy!
A badly neglected dog and this autistic boy were meant to be in each other’s lives. Both are doing greater than ever being together. Grab your tissues and keep reading below…
From NTD:
Jonny Hickey was an extremely awkward and quiet child who hated to communicate with anybody. He could barely speak. He would spend hours playing alone with his marbles and dreaded any kind of new experiences.
Xena was a severely abused dog being taken care of by rescuers when Jonny’s family decided to adopt this pitiable soul.
Just two months after Xena came into his life, Jonny transformed completely. He is now extremely happy, cheerful, and playful when he is with his new friend. The parents have noticed that he is a lot more social now.
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Just a couple of months before Xena was taken into Jonny’s world, the poor pup was brought to the DeKalb County Animal Services’ shelter in Georgia after she collapsed in someone’s yard. When staff members saw her, they recoiled in shock.
“I’ve been doing rescue probably for about 12 years, and I had never seen a dog that young in that sort of condition,” Chrissy Kaczynski, who works for Animal Services and is a founding member of the rescue group Friends of DeKalb Animals, told TODAY.com. “I brought her home with me and I didn’t think she’d make it through the night.”
“She was completely dehydrated and her nose was all scabbed over … like she had been trying to escape something,” Kaczynski said.
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Being autistic, Johny had faced difficulty interacting and expressing himself. He used to be uncomfortable making eye contact with people. But ever since Xena came into his life, he has changed dramatically. His mother noticed that he now readily cuddles and kisses the terrier, and has become more tactile and expressive.
Both Jonny and Xena are now an inseparable pair as they fill each other’s lives with loads of love. Xena is now his best friend.
His mother, Linda Hickey, 44, said in an interview with Today.com: “These two were destined to be together, to save each other at a level that humans just can’t understand.”
“From the very first day, that dog was sitting in his lap in the car seat, giving him all these kisses. And that’s where she’s been ever since,” she said.
