The inseparable duo have recently won thousands of fans on the Internet, after photos of the dog refusing to leave the 9-year-old’s side at a hospital went viral. Mahe was able to snuggle next to him on the bed before the procedure.
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Mahe, who is tethered to James when the two venture outside, will not only calm the young boy down in stressful situations, but is also tasked with keeping him safe.
James can not speak, and recoils from touch and eye contact with his family.
‘We couldn’t even go to a cafe as a family.
The Isaccs say that since Mahe came into their lives more than two years ago, so much has changed.
“The staff at the hospital were wonderful and encouraged Mahe to hop on the bed with James to help keep him calm”, Isaac explained.
In order to undergo the MRI scan, James had to be placed under general anesthesia, which is when hospital photographer Louise Goossens snapped the photos of Mahe comforting the boy.
“He got his face really close to James, who was asleep by that point, and he reached in to sniff him”, James’ mother, Michelle Isaac, told TODAY on Tuesday. “But when we got Mahe, James would just sit there waiting for us to finish our coffee”.
The group trains dogs to assist people with a range of disabilities.
“He was just looking at James, and looking really anxious”, James’ mum Michelle told Stuff.co.nz.
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“There is such magic that happens between a child with autism and the dogs”, she continued.
