Girl finds best friend at K9 Country Club

from KREM2:
A business called the K9 Country Club in Spokane Valley not only houses and trains dogs, but they also help match them up with kids who have special needs.
It is a program that has made a big impact on one little girl named Ella.
"Ella is eight-years-old," said Ella's mother Kacey Bode. "She has down syndrome. She's a very fun little girl. She's the light of our lives."

Second grader Ella has no shortage of people loving her.
"All you can say is she is Ella!" Bode said. "She has so much personality."
Ella's energy is a great fit for a special pup named Luna.
"We started coming here about two months ago," Bode said. "It's been an amazing fit. Ella and Nick the trainer just hit it off."
"They have a very innocent, special, loving way to connect to the dogs," said K9 Country Club Trainer Nick Lungo. "If I can facilitate that, I feel like I'm using my gift."

Beloved dog gets new lease on life

by Sarah Fay Campbell from the Times-Herald:
Lady, an 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, is Brian Ziifle's best friend.
The perky Yorkie has formed an incredible bond with Brian, a Coweta County resident who has Down Syndrome.
Four years ago, Brian moved into his own condo.
'We sent Lady with [Brian] to be his roommate, so he had someone waiting there for him when he came home,' said Brian's mother, Helen. 'They really have formed a bond that goes beyond owner and pet. He talks to her like a human and tells her everything, and she is really his best friend.'
In the days leading up to Christmas, Lady became very sick, and the Ziifles thought they were going to lose her.
The family prayed fervently, along with starting a prayer chain among friends. Brian even wrote a letter to Santa Claus.
Then the Ziifles received a Christmas miracle.
Lady woke up four days before the holiday, gasping for breath.
'We took her straight to the veterinarian and they sent us to an emergency place in Fayetteville,' said Helen. 'Lady was in respiratory distress and was suffering from renal disease.'
The emergency veterinarian staff discovered Lady had pneumonia and they suspected an enlarged heart, but couldn't see the heart clearly because her lungs were filled with fluid.
The tiny dog was put on oxygen and was given heart medication.
On Monday, Lady was placed in intensive care.
'The internal medicine veterinarian said she would do all she could do to get her home to Brian on Christmas Eve,' said Helen.

A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Dog Show Life's Perfection

From HeathCliff Rothman:
We love the LOVE in this video. We invite you to share.

A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Dog Show Life's Perfection
Sugar for the soul! A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Golden Labrador reach across to touch each other ... Two tender creatures expressing their beauty -  and the Sweetness of Life. Remember: we ALL ahve a tender heart that beats within us. Show others. Creater of video unknown.