iStock/Thinkstock(WINDSOR, Ontario) — Police officers in Canada have come together to help a boy with autism who is devastated over the loss of his dog, Sasha.
Jackie Brown told CTV News that her 13-year-old son Alex has been heartbroken ever since his Golden Retriever companion dog went missing while the family was visiting relatives in Harrow, Ontario, two weeks ago.
Police and volunteers soon discovered Sasha had died alongside a road near the area.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. There’s been a lot of ups and downs and for the children, it’s definitely been a heartbreak,” Brown told CTV News. “She meant everything to our family. It was devastating.”
Brown said although Sasha was not trained to be a companion dog, she spent all her time with Alex and slept in his bedroom.
“He took care of her from the very beginning,” she said to CTV News.
Cst. Sean Patterson of the Windsor Police Service said police in Windsor, about 25 miles from Harrow, were touched by the story.
“It really bothered a lot of us and it struck a chord in our hearts and we wanted to do something,” he said to CTV News.
Windsor Police contacted a local breeder and raised enough money for a 7-week-old yellow Labrador pup named Jake.
“I was completely shocked that somebody would feel that much and want to help that much,” Brown said. “It’s very much an overwhelming feeling.”
The Brown family will welcome Jake into their home sometime next week, she said.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.