Blind Elk Grove boy has new best friend in K9 buddy
ELK GROVE — An Elk Grove family has a new four-legged buddy, and it's all thanks to Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The guide dog school is known for providing service dogs for the blind and visually impaired, but it also offers the gift of a best friend.
Wyatt Wittry has a new best friend: a three-year-old retriever named Shannon.
"She likes food. She scarfs it down in 30 seconds, and she loves attention," Wyatt said.
The nine-year-old from Elk Grove was born without vision. When his family dog passed away earlier this year, his mom, Kim Wittry, did some research and learned about Guide Dogs for the Blind's K-9 buddy program.
"It's hard to explain just how great the program is," Mom said.
The program matches specially selected dogs, like Shannon, to those who are blind or visually impaired as companion pets. And it's free of charge.
"We have to buy her food. That's about it," Kim said.
Shannon isn't a service dog. She started training to be a guide dog, "but she kind of failed," Wyatt said.
So she had a career change. Now, her only job is to be there for Wyatt.
"He seems happier. He has more of a desire to feed her, take care of her, take her for walks. [He's] really taken on that responsibility of being a dog owner," Kim said.
And when it comes to being boy's best buddy, Shannon is a bit of an over-achiever.
"He struggles to make friends as easy as most kids do," Kim said. She added, "He's not going to watch the latest movie or have those things in common, so it's just so nice to have his built-in best friend, and it's a great talking piece for him. So she's just been great."
Guide Dogs for the Blind says a good candidate for the K-9 buddy program is anyone over five years old with a visual impairment, an interest in having a dog, and the ability to provide a loving home.