The Special Bond Between A Boy And His Dog

No one can imagine the ways in which the special bond between a boy and his dog can literally save the boy’s life many times. As fate would have arranged it, Lucas Hembree, a 4-year old child suffering from Sanfilippo syndrome, has been rescued many times by their family dog, Juno, who warns the father whenever Lucas is low on oxygen or is not feeling well.

The family had known that there was no cure for Lucas’ disease, and Lucas’ life expectancy was age 15 at the most, and perhaps as little as 8. Oxygen was already required at all times.

The family had looked into getting a service dog to help with Lucas, but couldn’t afford the fees of at least $15,000 US dollars.

Lucas’ father Chester had been in law enforcement previously and had trained K-9 dogs before for police work. The breed they used was the Belgian Malinois, which has a love for work and a “never-quit” attitude. The breed is used quite frequently in police work and military combat. It is rumored that the dog that helped nab Osama bin Laden was of this breed.

Chester began checking with shelters throughout East Tennessee for a Belgian, and did manage to find one just a few days from being euthanized. He went to see the dog, named Juno, and immediately sensed that this dog would be just right, even though she was in poor condition. They took her home, and were prepared to gradually introduce her to Lucas and do a little training.

The Special Bond Between A Boy And His Dog

Then however, according to Chester:

…from the beginning there seemed to be something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. “She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low.” After giving him oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him with licks and affection.

Anyone who has adopted a dog from a shelter knows that there’s something special about rescue: they seem to instinctively know they have been rescued from death and given another chance at living. At least to me, it has always seemed that these adopted pets unfailingly have excellent temperaments and are typically easy to work with and train.

This example of Lucas and Juno just goes to show how dogs can truly be called ‘man’s best friend’ and save them from danger. That is because dogs are loyal and they have a strong sense of something bad that’s about to happen. So for people, especially children like Lucas, never lose hope and remember that there will always be someone to help, be it a man, a woman, or a dog like Juno. Nothing can break the special bond between a boy and his dog.