Lachlan and Grady are best buddies
Not every dog that enters our training program will graduate as a Guide Dog. However, that's not the only career path we offer here at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT!
Grady, for example, qualified as a Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog. He is now a constant and loving companion for a seven-year-old boy called Lachlan Miller, who has a rare genetic condition that makes him susceptible to constant bone fractures.
Lachlan's mother, Carmen, says she has stopped counting the number of fractures Lachlan has sustained, but it's well over a hundred. "He has to be very careful; he can't do a lot of the things that regular kids do," Carmen explains.
The family says Grady has been "wonderful" from day one. "The first night we brought him home, he heard Lachlan crying from the pain he suffers, and ran upstairs to his bedroom with a soft toy," Carmen recalls. "We were absolutely amazed."
Grady is very gentle with Lachlan, and even lets him lie on him in front of the television. "Grady stays by Lachlan's side, and helps him to forget about his aching bones," Carmen says.
There is currently a two-year waiting list for PAT dogs provided by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.