Pittsburgh-area service dog changes life of 10-year-old boy, family says
ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) — When you meet Hank, a 3-year-old German Shepard, it is clear that 10-year-old Harrison Brimner is his favorite person.
What's also apparent from watching this duo is that Brimner feels the same way about his dog.
Brimner is nonverbal autistic and his mother, Megan, says that before they got Hank, day-to-day life for her son and the family had to be strictly regimented to keep Harrison on an even keel, which made life extremely difficult for everyone.
"We had no unpredictability in our lives for a really long time," Megan said. "And it was by schedule. Everything had to be timed. We were setting timers and doing certain things. We couldn't eat at a restaurant. We couldn't say let's go shopping, let's go to the mall, let's go to Target. Everything had to be pre-planned. Everything had to be very predictable."
It was because of these difficulties that three years ago, the Brimner family and the community in and around Aliquippa raised money to get Harrison a service dog. And when Hank showed up at just 8 weeks old, things for Harrison started to change for the better.
"His patience level started getting higher and higher," said Megan. "The aggression, he would kick and pinch when he got mad and wasn't being understood, and that started to drop off. And then we moved to being able to go to a store. We would go to Target and now he is doing the credit card machine and picking stuff for himself, which is something amazing. It's been amazing to watch. He's made so many strides since we got Hank."
Hank has been helping Harrison so much that he recently was honored by the American Kennel Club with the Humane Fund Award for Canine Excellence. But the family says Hank is not letting the award and all the fame go to his head.
"He is like always, very level-headed," Megan said. "He didn't let the fame go to his head. He's humble."
For Harrison, Hank has transformed his life and the lives of the Brimner family for the better. Harrison continues to blossom each day, and Megan says that they wouldn't trade Hank for the world.
"Hank, I didn't know at the time, but he was a godsend," said Megan. "He has completely changed Harrison's life in little ways and big ways. It was the best decision we've ever made. I don't think we would be where we are if we wouldn't have gotten Hank."