A dog who helps a girl to walk!!
Crufts is touted as the worlds largest dog show. For the Crufts-2008 show, 23,000 dogs entered to be showed. Having just finished Crufts 2008 in Birmingham, England. we can revel in their choice for the winner of Cruft’s Friends for Life award. The Cruft’s Friends for Life award is awarded to those where friendship in adversity is demonstrated by dogs who have truly earned the title of man’s best friend. In the case of the Friendship for Life award in 2008, a winner was chosen from over 12,000 nominees and the award went to an 11 year old girl named Harriet and her dog Yeppa, a Hungarian wire-haired Vizsla.
The girl in the picture above ws 11 months old when she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This left Harriet Ringsell unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair. When Harriet was 8, Yeppa was chosen as their family pet and almost immediately cuddled onto Harriet’s lap. Harriet, as any young person, wanted to walk and run like her friends. A few short days after the Yeppa was with her, Harriet got up on her walking frame to take a few steps. It was then that Yeppa took one of her hands in her mouth ever so gently and helped her take some very important steps. Harriet became excited and motivated by this, which encouraged her to walk more with Yeppa’s assistance. This greatly helps curtail the seizing up of her legs that this disability inflicts upon her. Soon Harriet’s parents attached a leash to her walking frame and they began their walks together, however short. Yeppa assists Harriet with getting dressed and if she is in too much pain to leave her bed, the dog lies with her for company and comfort. This dog was not formally trained to be a therapy dog, but the love the dog has for Harriet has guided her to be Harriet’s protector, teacher and best friend.
Yeppa has helped Harriet’s walking so much, that she is now ready for an operation that would allow her to walk on her own all of the time. It is a complex operation with a long recovery and rehabilitation period, requiring Harriet to learn how to walk all over again. I think with Yeppa’s help and encouragement, she will be just fine.
For those of you who will be near the nation’s capital this weekend, click here to see what’s going on…remember cherry blossoms!!! This is a great entry by Kjersti Wasiak!!!
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