‘Beautiful relationship’: Girl With Autism Finds Comfort in New Companion Dog

Emmi Tegart lay on her back in a wagon pulled by her parents, face buried in blankets.

She had headphones on because she hates loud noises, a symptom of her Down Syndrome and autism.

Then a slobbery kiss from a rescue dog named Little Bear changed everything.

The instant expression of joy on her 11-year-old daughter’s face was something Sheri Tegart had never seen before.

“I teared up, because of the huge smile on Emmi’s face, and the focus,” Tegart said. “You don’t see that with Emmi, very much. The initial interaction was just neat to see.”

“She was just happy and excited to play. It was moving.”

‘We prayed about it for a long time’

To Tegart, that first meeting between her daughter and the dog that would become her constant companion felt like fate.

The Spruce Grove girl is non-verbal and often grows frustrated in social interactions. Her parents struggle to help her overcome anxieties….

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