VIDEO: Therapy Dog Saves Child’s Life

6-years-old Caleb suffered a dramatic head-on accident, that left him with brain injury and broken bones. Everyone was in doubt about his recovery, even his doctors. But someone suggested to get Caleb a therapy dog, and that was the first step in his recovery. Now, the bond between them is so strong that Caleb’s parents had no other option than to believe that their child is going to be normal again.

According to Wikipedia, the systematic use of therapy dogs is attributed to Elaine Smith, who worked as a registered nurse. Smith noticed how well patients responded to visits by a chaplain and his Golden Retriever. In 1976, Smith started a program for training dogs to visit institutions, and the demand for therapy dogs continued to grow. In recent years, therapy dogs have been enlisted to help children overcome speech and emotional disorders.

Therapy dogs are usually not assistance or service dogs, but can be one or both with some organizations. Therapy dogs are not trained to assist specific individuals and do not qualify as service dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Institutions may invite, limit, or prohibit access by therapy dogs. If allowed, many institutions have rigorous requirements for therapy dogs.

Read all about Caleb and his therapy dog Colonel below; story provided by ViralNova.

At a young age, Caleb Howard of Huntsville, Utah, was involved in a terrible head-on collision. This unfortunate incident resulted in several broken bones and, worst of all, a traumatic brain injury that left Caleb in critical condition. Doctors said his chances for recovery were low, and his father and grandmother had little to hope for. Caleb was unresponsive, and things weren’t looking good.

As part of his therapy, Caleb was introduced to Colonel, a specially trained Golden Retriever. Prior to this, he’d been unresponsive and lacking in energy. Seeing the dog, who was about the size of Caleb himself, perked Caleb right up. There was a noticeable change in his motivation and awareness, and he began to steadily improve.

Even though he’s young, occupational therapist Lisa Barnes says that kids like Caleb who have suffered these devastating injuries often get depressed and lack motivation to try and regain mobility. Colonel helps with that problem, as Caleb finds plenty of motivation to try and play with the patient, friendly dog. His grandmother agrees. “I noticed that every time he would see Colonel, he was more alert,” she says “There was a little step in his awareness and [Caleb]…would do a little bit more than what he’d already been doing.”

After a month of intense therapy and with the help of Colonel, Caleb had become much more aware and alert, and his motor skills were vastly improved. He’s also grateful for Colonel’s companionship. “I guess he likes me a lot!” he says with a smile.

Caleb still has a way to go, but his father says that animal therapy continues to be an amazing form of healing for people, especially children.

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