When Garrett Tingum turned one, it wasn’t long after that his parents knew that something was up. Shortly afterwards, Bruce and Caroline received the diagnosis that their son had autism. However, his autism was severe enough to require 24-hour supervision.
Because of his severe condition, Garret was prone to wandering off. And he would often be known to explore the neighborhood, wandering into strangers homes to play – potentially dangerous situations. And all parents know that even the best adult supervision isn’t possible every single second.
Naturally, both Bruce and Caroline were concerned for their son’s safety. In a bid to sort out a solution, the couple contacted Tender Loving Canines. They were hoping that the organization’s New Leash On Life program, which provides service dogs to those living with autism, might be able to help their son.
And they were. They were able to provide the Tingum family with a new member: Ruby. The calm and gentle Golden Retriever soon became Garrett’s new companion as well as his protector. The dog was harassed to the boy in order to keep him from wandering off. Additionally, Ruby was trained to be a calming and grounding presence for Garrett.
Once she entered the family, there was a huge difference thanks to the love and joy that she brought to Garrett. Besides keeping him calm, Ruby also brought a peace of mind to Garrett’s parents.
As Caroline shared, “Our future is much brighter now that we’ve got Ruby in the family.”
