For Danny, everything had always come slowly, even basics like sitting up straight, walking, and talking. The cause of his developmental delays was a complete mystery, even to his expert doctors. Danny had at least been adopted by a loving family: Dixie and Edward Morgan and their two other children were accepting and very patient.
The kids wanted a dog, but their parents vetoed the idea. Dixie admitted, “My husband and I are not really dog people. True confession!” By chance, a dog had just moved in across the street. Saki was a German Shepherd who had been rescued when she was just a puppy. Now she was going to be trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. But for the time being, she was being fostered by Dennie Fiddler, the Morgans’ neighbor. Saki was a dog with ideas of her own. Before long, she was slipping through the fence and heading across the street to the Morgan house. “When Saki first appeared at our doorstep, my husband was conveniently out of town. How would a dog know this?”
Although they’d been clamoring for a dog, Danny’s siblings were a bit wary of Saki at first. But not Danny: he walked right up to her and gave the dog a big hug! Saki’s visits continued, always with the sole purpose of spending time with Danny. The incredible thing is that his developmental problems improved thanks to the confidence and emotional support he was getting from the dog. Their dad had never liked dogs, but he found himself changing his tune. “When I saw Danny and Saki playing, it was too much. It just melted my heart.”
The Morgans wanted to adopt Saki, but the people at the Search Dog Foundation really wanted Saki for their training program. Once they came to visit and saw what the dog had done for Danny, they relented: Saki had found her real rescue mission, saving little Danny!
We’ve posted a video about this wonderful story below. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Facebook comments. Don’t forge to like and share!
