Kieran is 23 years old and is on the spectrum. He also has an undiagnosed condition where he collapses out of the blue which he has been under medical care for since he was 17.
Kieran’s mum Rochelle explains how they found out about Mobility Dogs and what it means to them to have Denny who is their companion dog, in their lives.
“My neighbour is a Mobility Dog trustee and I mentioned that I was considering finding an autistic trained dog for Kieran. She suggested we should get in touch with Mobility Dogs. At first, we weren’t sure if we would be the right fit, but thankfully it turned out we were.
I cannot explain the happiness Denny has bought to our family and also how much the comfort and emotional support he offers has helped to reduce our stress levels.
Kieran used to be very solitary and isolated but since having Denny come into his life Kieran has left his room every day, he feeds and walks Denny, and he chats to him too.
We have noticed Kieran will spend more time with visitors, giving eye contact and wonderful conversation, whereas before Denny this would never have happened. His ability to manage on zoom calls has also improved dramatically.
Previously it was very hard to get Kieran to leave his room or to get him to leave the house but now he will come on trips with me when I suggest we take Denny with us on the drive.
Kieran also really enjoys getting Denny to do some of the jobs he was trained to do including opening doors, bringing in groceries, taking off socks, and also asking him to bring drinks or treats from the kitchen.
Denny is a wonderful joyful companion who has really helped to bring Kieran out of his shell. Having Denny in our family has not only made a huge difference for Kieran but also to how the rest of the family interacts with Kieran.
Simply said, Denny is the best thing that has ever happened to us all, but especially to Kieran!”