HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - Medical officials now know what caused a autistic Hendersonville Boy's service dog to suddenly die.
Barrett Ruck lost his service dog Zach last month. The dog had been specially trained to help Barrett deal with some of the symptoms of autism like fits, rage and seizures. Zach went through two years of training to learn how to work with autistic children. Trainers specially mimicked Barrett's characterizes to get him ready. He came with a $14,000 price tag the Rucks raised in donations, but to them he was worth every penny.
When he came into their lives last December, he instantly became a part of the family. Barrett found a calming, around-the-clock companion who was always there for seizures and falls at home or school.
In July, Zach died from what officials at Wilderwood Service Dogs have discovered was a nerve disease. The group has offered the Ruck family a replacement dog for $6,000. Since the story aired on NewsChannel 5 the family has received nearly $3,000 in donations to help pay for a new service dog.
Family members said while they are excited to get a new dog Barrett, the new dog has not yet started training so it could be a year or more before the dog is ready.
To Donate visit: http://www.barrettsdog.com/
Past Stories
