Assistance Dogs

By Maresa Fagan, Roscommon Herald, 8th December 2009.

Christmas has come early for five year-old Calum Leyden from Strokestown. Calum is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to his new canine companion, Juni, an assistance dog for families with children with Autism.

DOZENS of autistic children will not get specialist trained assistance dogs next year because of Government cutbacks. The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) said it needs €1.5 million in 2010 to train another 40 assistance dogs for families of children with autism, like it did this year.