WASHINGTON Sally may have been a dog-show winner, but this time she has dressed up for a special cause. Looking smart and scholarly in her school uniform, she helps her teenage owner cope with his autism.
The corgi, whose grandfather was a stud to the Queen's corgis, changed 14-year-old Nick Gilling's life the day she moved in with him 18 months ago. Not only has she helped Nick overcome his fear of going to school, she also helped cure him of agoraphobia (an anxiety disorder) and even plays cards with him, reported the Daily Mail.
"Nick had been very badly bullied at school. The other pupils would kick and taunt him," said Nick's mother Tessa Gilling. "One day he just took his uniform off and told me, 'That's the last time I'll ever wear a school uniform. You'll never get me back in that'," she added.
After reading an advert for Parents Autism Workshops and Support (PAWS) - a branch of Dogs for the Disabled, Tessa underwent a course where she trained Sally to help Nick.
