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Transcript: Hazel and the Chickens / William and Wander
Collar of Duty Kids
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a backyard, a girl with braided blonde hair holds a chicken while other children pet it.
NARRATOR: A young girl throws a party with some unlikely and noisy guests.
BLONDE-HAIRED GIRL: These are my friends.
[Chickens cluck, whoosh, horses neigh]
DESCRIPTION: A girl with straight blonde hair leans back against a fence and looks at a horse that sniffs her jacket. She wears a grey touque and black gloves with her blue and purple jacket. She pets a miniature horse over the fence.
NARRATOR: Gentle giants help kids find their confidence.
DESCRIPTION: In a thrift store, a teenage boy with short dark brown hair and a teenage girl with shoulder-length blonde hair dance in an aisle. A Labrador retriever wearing a red service vest lies nearby on the floor.
BLONDE-HAIRED TEENAGE GIRL SINGS: Da, da, da, da.
NARRATOR: An autism assistance dog takes the stage with his best friend.
DESCRIPTION: In a room, the brown-haired boy holds the leash for the dog and turns towards a woman with long brown hair seated at a piano.
BROWN-HAIRED TEENAGE BOY: You ready, Janel?
[Piano music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The long-haired woman, Janel, plays the piano.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
Collar of Duty: Kids.
[Whoosh, slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Near a school playground, the blonde-haired girl, Hazel, runs to the camera.
NARRATOR: Meet Hazel.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Hazel sits on a trampoline. She sits at a coffee table, drawing on paper with a blue marker.
HAZEL: Hi! My name is Hazel, and I'm six years old. And I'm a very good artist.
DESCRIPTION: In a gym, Hazel wears Muay Thai gloves. In the backyard, Hazel and Olive sit back-to-back on a swing. Olive has long brown hair and blue eyes.
NARRATOR: Hazel likes Muay Thai, playing with her sister, Olive, and her cat, Chelsea.
[Meow]
DESCRIPTION: In a kitchen, Olive holds a white cat with grey tabby markings on their head. Hazel sits on the floor beside them.
NARRATOR: But Hazel also has some of the finest feathered friends on the block.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Chickens walk around in a coop.
NARRATOR: Her emotional support chickens.
[Chickens cluck]
NARRATOR: Introducing Coco.
DESCRIPTION: Coco is a brown chicken with a red comb.
SABRINA: She's been with us the longest. Sparkle...
[Chickens cluck, crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Sparkle is an orange chicken with white-tipped feathers and a flat red comb.
SABRINA: She likes to be the boss of everybody.
NARRATOR: Cruella...
[Crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Cruella has a pink comb. The feathers around her head are orange, and her body feathers are orange and black.
NARRATOR: Brownie...
[Crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Brownie’s feathers are primarily dark brown, with brown around her head.
NARRATOR: And Madie.
[Crowd cheers, chickens cluck, whoosh, wings flap]
DESCRIPTION: Madie has brown feathers around her head and black feathers elsewhere. In the backyard, Hazel and Olive pose with their mom, Sabrina. Sabrina has long brown hair and wears a grey jacket and a pink shirt. Everyone holds a chicken. Olive’s chicken flaps her wings, and Olive releases her.
[Text On A Sign Beside A Highway Reads] Saint Catherines. The Garden City.
NARRATOR: Hazel lives with her mom, Sabrina, and older sister, Olive, in Saint Catharines, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina sits in a dining room chair.
SABRINA: My name is Sabrina, and I'm Hazel's mom.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel carries a camera to her bedroom and turns on the light. She pets Chelsea.
NARRATOR: Welcome to my room. Turn on the light.
[Soft music plays]
SABRINA: Hazel was diagnosed as a type-1 diabetic when she was two years old.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel pets Chelsea.
HAZEL: Say "Hi!"
DESCRIPTION: Hazel’s drawings and school photos are pinned to a refrigerator. In a schoolyard, Hazel makes faces at the camera.
SABRINA: So in the last four years, she's had a lot of life changes. From the things that we do, the places that we go, the things that we eat... And although it's been difficult, she's really come through as a stronger, brave little girl.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel waves at the camera.
HAZEL: Hi!
DESCRIPTION: In the house, Hazel drinks a yogurt drink. She and Olive look at a smartphone as they eat.
NARRATOR: When a healthy person eats, their body uses their pancreas to send out insulin, which helps keep their blood sugar from getting too high.
SABRINA: As a type-1 diabetic, Hazel's pancreas doesn't function the way it's supposed to. So that means she needs to wear a pump, and we need to input the foods that she eats, so that the pump can give her the insulin that her pancreas cannot. There is just treatment, so Hazel will be a type-1 diabetic for the rest of her life.
[Whoosh, pop, playful music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In front of the play structure in the schoolyard, Hazel stands beside a boy with short blond hair.
HAZEL: Hi, my name is Hazel!
BLOND-HAIRED BOY: Um—
HAZEL: And this is Jake.
[Hazel shrieks]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and the blond-haired boy, Jake, slide down a slide together.
NARRATOR: Like most kids, Hazel just wants to have fun. But sometimes Hazel's fun gets interrupted.
[Beep, soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel stops on the play structure.
NARRATOR: By The blood sugar monitor.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Hazel stops drawing.
NARRATOR: While playing.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and Olive sit on the couch, playing on their smartphones.
NARRATOR: At school.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In a classroom, Hazel rests her chin on her hands.
NARRATOR: And at home.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: At the dining room table, Hazel stops drawing.
[Soft music plays]
[Sign On The Chicken Coop Reads] Welcome to our coop.
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Coco walks in front of the chicken house. A sign taped to the chicken house lists the chickens and text reads, “The Pretty Girls.” Olive and Hazel stand in the enclosure.
OLIVE: Do you want to collect the eggs?
HAZEL: Yeah.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Olive opens the roof over the nest boxes, and Hazel gathers eggs. She puts them in a colourful basket carried by Olive.
NARRATOR: Due to Hazel's diabetes, she has endured numerous hospital stays and needle pricks. One day, a social worker suggested an emotional support animal.
[Upbeat music plays, chickens cluck]
SABRINA: You know, something that she could love. Something that she could tell her fears to. Something that she could hug when she was having a hard time. Something she could just sit with.
[Chickens cluck]
HAZEL: I go to see the chickens when I'm sad. They make me feel happy.
HAZEL: We got four eggs!
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Sabrina walks towards the coop.
SABRINA NARRATES: And so when I had asked her what kind of animal would you like, and she had said chickens. I mean, we got a kick out of it!
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Sabrina pets a chicken. In photographs, Hazel hugs Coco.
SABRINA: I looked into it, and I thought, you know what, if it's going to help her, why wouldn't I do it? And honestly, the amount of love that she has for those chickens, and the amount of happiness, and the amount of pride that she has for them has really been an incredible thing to watch.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the kitchen, Suzelle wears a cream shirt. She has shoulder-length blonde hair. In the backyard, Sabrina holds the coop door open and pours feed on the ground.
SUZELLE: My name is Suzelle. I'm called "Gammy." I have six grandchildren. Hazel is my youngest one, if she's not feeling too good, or a little bit worried about things, she'll go outside, and first thing you know, she'll be talking with them.
HAZEL: Do you want to play tag?
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Olive reaches for Coco, and Coco runs out of reach.
SABRINA: The chickens, she would go to them a lot, she would talk to them. I think that they just made her feel better in general, that they weren't judging her, they weren't a negative. The chickens were just a happy spot for her.
[Children chatter]
DESCRIPTION: At school, Hazel runs to a door with three classmates and enters the schoolyard. Hazel swings on the swing set.
SABRINA: Hazel's in grade one. She plays around in the yard, just like her friends do. The difference is that Hazel has a nurse that stays at the school with her, every single day, to make sure that she gets the insulin and the food that she needs, so that she can learn, and play, and have fun, just like everybody else.
DESCRIPTION: In the school, Sandy holds a smartphone and writes in a binder. She has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a blue t-shirt over a black long-sleeve shirt.
NARRATOR: Sandy Kovacs is the owner of EnCompass Home Care Solutions and Hazel's in-school nurse.
DESCRIPTION: At home, Hazel sits on the trampoline.
HAZEL: When I get low, she gives me insulin.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In a classroom, Hazel sits at her desk, writing. Sandy sits at a desk behind her, writing notes in the binder.
SABRINA NARRATES: Even though she has the pump, she still has to be monitored very closely.
DESCRIPTION: Sandy sits beside Hazel and gives her a container of raisins.
SANDY: So, her blood sugar's gotten low, so she's actually showing a double drop. So this is where we have to intervene. This is why I'm giving her the raisins, because it's a very quick sugar, and it's going to be easily absorbed into her system, to bring her blood sugar back up to a safe level.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Sandy sits at the desk at the back of the classroom. Hazel turns in her desk and nods to Jake, who gives her a thumbs up.
SANDY: With the emotional support animals, I always thought of maybe a dog, sometimes a cat... Um, chickens really blew my mind, but in a good way.
[Sandy laughs]
SANDY: So, the chickens have been a very positive addition to her life.
DESCRIPTION: In class, Hazel puts up her hand.
HAZEL: Ooh! Ooh!
SANDY: And we found that after she started to care for her chickens, that her moods were a lot better. She wasn't as timid; she wasn't as frightened.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and her classmates move their arms like wings.
HAZEL: Bok, bok, bok, bok.
SANDY: She was a little more animated. And she would talk to us about her chickens. Like she would tell us, "Well, this is what Coco did when I went in there this morning, and oh, and Brownie laid four eggs this morning!"
[Chicken clucks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Coco looks at the ground. In the kitchen, Sabrina holds Hazel’s insulin pump.
NARRATOR: Hazel's insulin pump is a small device, about the size of a deck of cards. A small needle places in a tube under the skin, and insulin is delivered through the tube.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina unwinds a tube and enters data into the pump.
SABRINA: Today is Hazel's pump change day. Every three days, we go through this little routine, where I take off Hazel's old pump, set up a new one, and then put it on her, and she helps chose the spot.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel lifts the side of her shirt and points to a spot on her tummy.
SABRINA: Ready?
HAZEL: Yep.
SABRINA: One, two, three!
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina puts a round patch connected to the tube on Hazel’s tummy, and Hazel smiles. Sabrina slides the pump into a white pocket in a shirt beneath Hazel’s hooded sweater.
SABRINA: And it's on! Let's put it back in the pump pocket that Gammy made for you.
HAZEL: I'm brave.
SABRINA: You are brave!
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Hazel and Olive walk towards the coop, wearing their Muay Thai gloves. They enter the coop and spar.
NARRATOR: With what seems like a lot of obstacles, Hazel is working on building her self-confidence. When she shows off her Muay Thai moves to her chickens, she feels unstoppable. With the support of her chickens and the structure and the structure of Muay Thai, she's pushing her limits, and growing stronger each day.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and Sabrina crouch in front of a martial arts studio. Sabrina holds a pair of Muay Thai gloves.
HAZEL: We are at Muay Thai.
SABRINA: Hazel's gonna be practicing her combos and her teeps.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel punches the air.
HAZEL: Jab, with a cross, hook—
SABRINA: You've got it.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel kicks the air in front of her.
SABRINA: And then a teep.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Inside the martial arts studio, trophies gleam on a shelf.
[Niagara B.J.J. Code Of Conduct Poster Reads] One, bow in and out the mats. Two, always be respectful to fellow practitioners regardless of rank. Three, always address Black Belts as “Professor” and other instructors as “Coach.” Four, no coaching your children. Five, If you are late for class, wait outside of mat area until welcomed by instructor. Six, when receiving instructions, students must sit or stand with good posture.
[Cody instructs in the background]
DESCRIPTION: At the front of a class, Cody demonstrates a punch. He has short curly brown hair, a beard, and a moustache. Cody wears a red shirt and a Black Belt. Hazel and Olive wear black shirts with a red skull on the front, and their gloves. They practice punching and their teeps.
CODY: My name is Cody Kent. I'm Hazel and Olive's Muay Thai coach. Hazel is one of our youngest students, and obviously, her stature is very small. It's something to really overcome her fears, and she's doing well with the hitting, and the getting hit part, which are two separate things to get use to, but she's doing great with both.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel taps Cody’s gloves and hits one. In the living room, Hazel sits on the trampoline.
HAZEL: When it hurts him, he taps, and then you've got to let go. Because it's dangerous.
DESCRIPTION: In the studio, Hazel and Olive punch forward. Hazel punches the focus mitts strapped to Cody's forearms.
CODY: Her social skills are getting a lot better, her teamwork skills, making friendships with kids that she's never seen before, on top of all the other things that martial arts gives you, and Muay Thai, she's been doing really well. She's building a lot of character through all of the stuff she's doing, with the chickens and with Muay Thai.
[Whoosh, pop, light music plays, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, paper lanterns and fans sway in the wind inside the coop. A serving dish holds plain and glazed doughnut holes. Hazel reaches into the coop while Jake and two girls stand behind her. The girls wear leis, and Jake wears sunglasses and a party hat.
NARRATOR: Today, Hazel is hosting a tea party. With a big boost from the chickens, her confidence is soaring, and she can't wait to show them off to her friends.
DESCRIPTION: The children enter the chicken coop
HAZEL: Hi. Hi!
CHILDREN: Hi! Hi! Hi!
[Chickens cluck]
HAZEL: These are my friends.
DESCRIPTION: Jake holds a chicken. Hazel holds Coco, and Jake and a black-haired girl pet the chicken.
NARRATOR: With her one-of-a-kind chickens by her side, Hazel is showing the world that her challenges don't define her. They only make her shine brighter.
[Children laugh, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel opens the roof over the nest boxes.
HAZEL: Let's go pick up the eggs.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: The black-haired girl holds a chicken, and Hazel smiles beside her.
HAZEL: We got two eggs.
[Water splashes]
DESCRIPTION: At a patio table, Hazel pours water from a teapot into Jake’s teacup. Jake holds his hands by his chest and flaps his elbows. He hops, and Hazel follows him.
[Children chatter]
SABRINA NARRATES: Knowing that you have to get poked with a needle every three days for probably the rest of your life is where it really becomes scary and stressful. Especially for a little kid.
HAZEL: Bok! Bok! I'm a chicken.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel smiles and drinks from her teacup.
SABRINA: She's really coming into herself and realizing how brave she is to do these things every day. To have something that can bring you happiness after, really helps give a sense of peace. That there is stress in life, but there is also lots of good.
SUZELLE: It's the best thing that could've happened to her.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, the chickens eat. In the schoolyard, Hazel holds a blue ball and runs. In the martial arts studio, she waves her glove and smiles. In the backyard, she sits back-to-back with Olive on the swing. In the kitchen, Hazel kisses Chelsea the cat.
SABRINA: With the help of the chickens, she started to be proud of herself, and to accept herself, and to have this mentality that, you know, everybody is different, and I can do what everyone else can do, it just might sometimes take a little bit longer, and I might have to take a little break in between.
[Hazel laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel stands in the kitchen with Sabrina. In the schoolyard, she slides down the slide and waves. In the coop, Hazel hugs a chicken.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows snow covering a farm and the surrounding fields. Two horses stand on a path, near an open gate leading to a field.
NARRATOR: Welcome to Horse Discovery Farm in Millbrook, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: A woman with blonde hair holds the lead of the miniature horse. Nearby, the girl with straight blonde hair wears her blue and purple jacket and purple snow pants. Behind the girl, horses watch over a paddock fence.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: Okay! Come on, Zoro.
NARRATOR: Horse Discovery offers hands-on learning for kids of all ages.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, the blonde-haired woman, Cheri, sits near hay bales.
CHERI: So, my name is Cheri Davidson. Lots of kids come here because they struggle with anxiety, a lot of worries...
[Horse nickers]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, a brown horse nudges the straight-haired girl’s head as she leans against a gate. The girl pets a different horse’s nose. She pets horses’ necks.
CHERI: And they really love animals. So, this gives them an opportunity to meet with the horses, learn from the horses, while feeling safe, and comfortable to explore. And play.
NARRATOR: Meet 10-year-old Claire.
DESCRIPTION: The straight-haired girl, Claire, leans against the paddock fence.
CHERI: How does his winter coat feel?
DESCRIPTION: Claire pets a dark brown horse’s side.
CLAIRE: Good.
CHERI: Yeah? Does it feel different than Zoro's?
DESCRIPTION: Claire nods. She leans against the paddock fence, and the brown horse sniffs her head.
CHERI: Claire is on the autism spectrum, and when she first started coming to the farm, she was really nervous. I was really happy to see that within one or two sessions, she's become really confident around the horses.
DESCRIPTION: By a fence, Jenni wears a grey touque over her blonde hair. She wears a blue coat. Near the barn, Claire brushes a white horse. She leans her cheek against the horse’s side.
JENNI: My name is Jenni, and I'm Claire's mom. One of the reasons why we started coming to Horse Discovery is to help her work on her self-regulation and being more present.
DESCRIPTION: Claire puts her hand through the fence, and the miniature horse, Zoro, licks her fingers.
CHERI: So, we start every session by doing an activity called "meet the herd." We'll see which horse is clearly wanting to work with Claire. They'll come to the fence, they'll put their head over the fence, they'll often sniff her hand. The horse that chose Claire was our miniature horse, Zoro.
[Zoro neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, Claire leads Zoro towards a pylon as Cheri watches from the gate.
CHERI: It was a really interesting to see how well he responded to Claire, and how much more willing he was to work with her. For me, it showed me how much confidence Claire has.
DESCRIPTION: By a fence, Claire pets a large black horse with a white mark on their forehead.
CHERI: And here's Seamus!
CLAIRE: I like to hug them.
[Horses nicker]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, horses eat hay.
CHERI NARRATES: When Claire comes here, she gets to observe the horses fully with her eyes, she gets to hear all of the various sounds in the barn, where the horses are eating. Their chewing is very soothing.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Claire brushes the white horse’s tail.
CHERI NARRATES: When we're brushing the horses, she'll notice all the different colours in a particular tail.
CHERI: What do you notice about Soleil's winter coat?
CLAIRE: It's soft.
DESCRIPTION: Claire pets the white horse, Soleil.
CHERI: Just noticing every little detail seems to really soothe Claire.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Claire pets a brown horse.
CHERI: How does her coat feel?
CHERI NARRATES: And it's a point of connection between her and I, and the horses.
[Cheerful music plays, Claire speaks in the background]
DESCRIPTION: In the paddock, Claire leads Zoro around a pylon. Zoro tosses his head and tangles the lead, and Claire carefully untangles it.
CHERI: I think what Claire took away today was confidence. Because she worked with a little horse, that has a big attitude, who can be hard to handle. And she did it beautifully by staying calm, and present, and in connection with Zoro.
DESCRIPTION: In an adjoining paddock, Soleil and two other horses watch Claire and Zoro.
CHERI: Okay, Claire, you take that out...
JENNI: It's just been a great experience for Claire to help her become more confident.
CHERI: Nice!
[Wings flap, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: Birds fly over the snowy farm. In a living room, the brown-haired teenage boy jumps in place. He wears a pink shirt and eyeglasses.
OFF-CAMERA WOMAN: Ready...?
BROWN-HAIRED TEENAGE BOY: No. Now I'm ready.
[Upbeat music plays]
NARRATOR: Meet William, a passionate and determined teenager who loves history, rollercoasters, and vintage tech.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A video cassette pops out of a camera. In a room, the brown-haired teenage boy, William, sits by a television. Outside, he stands by a bench surrounded by bushes and trees. In his bedroom, pictures of mushrooms hang on the wall, and mushrooms decorate his bedspread.
WILLIAM: I'm William, I'm 16 years old. Welcome to my room! I like mushrooms.
DESCRIPTION: In a backyard, William poses by a shed with a smiling man with short grey hair and a woman with shoulder-length brown hair. Everyone wears eyeglasses. A golden Labrador lies on the grass between the man and the woman, and William holds the leash of a second golden Labrador wearing a red service vest.
NARRATOR: As evidenced by his mushroom-themed bedroom. He lives with his parents, his two cats, and two very special dogs, in Cambridge, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, the brown-haired woman, Tiffany, sits beside the grey-haired man, Bert.
TIFFANY: I'm Tiffany, and I am William's mom.
BERT: I'm Bert, I'm William's dad.
[Siamese cat meows, calico cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: William pets a Siamese cat, and then a calico cat.
WILLIAM: This is Kooky, our second cat is Lucy.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, William holds his dog’s leash.
TIFFANY: Wander, she is just a sweetheart.
DESCRIPTION: In the house, William pets his dog, Wander. He sits on the floor in front of a couch, and Wander lies on his leg.
WILLIAM: She's a two-year-old golden lab, and she's just wonderful. You're going to be a T.V. star, Wander.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, Wander lies on the floor.
NARRATOR: William has autism, and Wander goes everywhere with him, as his autism assistance dog.
WILLIAM: Wander, she's mostly there as moral support.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, William pets Wander.
WILLIAM: Good girl!
DESCRIPTION: In front of the couch, William pets Wander.
WILLIAM: When I get nervous I can go pet her, and that helps to make me feel better, and more prepared for whatever I'm going to do.
TIFFANY: She loves to be touched, and she loves to cuddle.
WILLIAM: She's so soft and cuddly.
[Mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In his bedroom, William pets the calico cat, Lucy.
TIFFANY: Self-regulation was an issue that came along with the autism. So William, he had a lot of big emotions, just because he had lots of big things he was dealing with. And our pediatrician wondered whether or not a service dog would help.
[Light music plays]
NARRATOR: Before Wander, there was Irving.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, William pets the second dog while Wander lies nearby on the floor.
WILLIAM: Hey, Irving, you're on camera. Irving was my service dog for about eight years. Irving finally got to retire a month ago. You're a good boy, Irving. He is just the sweetest boy ever.
DESCRIPTION: William sits on a chair, and Irving stands on his hind legs and puts his front legs on William.
WILLIAM: Irving's doing what we call "meerkat," where he stands on his hind legs and tries to get support on you.
BERT: Irving is retired now, but he is going nowhere.
TIFFANY: Yeah, we couldn't imagine life without Irving here.
[Whoosh, pop, soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: A framed sketch on the wall shows baby William gazing at a leaf.
TIFFANY: William was a medically fragile baby.
DESCRIPTION: On the couch, William wears headphones and holds a tablet. He uses Wander as a pillow.
WILLIAM: I have Moebius syndrome, and that caused a bunch of various medical challenges to me. And when I was born, I was not able to smile or frown.
TIFFANY: A common feature of Moebius syndrome is a lack of facial expression, because the cranial nerves aren't developed. And William had lots of feelings of being, I guess, sad and embarrassed, because he couldn't smile. William's had 13 or 14 different surgeries. His biggest surgeries have been surgeries to allow him to smile.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: William smiles. A plaque beneath a statue reads, “Lions Foundation of Canada. Dog Guides.” An aerial view shows a large training centre surrounded by trees and fenced areas.
NARRATOR: Fortunately for William and his family, Lions Foundation of Canada dog guides had just the pup to help support William. First, with Irving, and now with Wander. Art was Wander's trainer.
DESCRIPTION: On the grass beside a winding path, Art wears a bright red jacket and eyeglasses. He has short grey hair.
ART: Wander was a little sensitive to begin with, but that was because she wasn't with her person. Now she found this person, in William.
DESCRIPTION: In his kitchen, William feeds Wander.
WILLIAM: Okay.
ART: Together, they just blossomed.
[Gentle music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, William sits on a towel.
NARRATOR: Autism assistance dogs are trained to perform a number of tasks, including visit.
DESCRIPTION: Wander lies across William’s lap.
WILLIAM: Wander, visit. Good girl! A visit from Wander is especially helpful when I get frustrated. It's essentially like giving me a hug. This helps very assuringly.
[Whoosh, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: William leans forward and kisses the back of Wander’s neck. Later, he holds Wander’s leash as they walk on a sidewalk with the blonde-haired teenage girl. They enter the thrift store.
TIFFANY: Well, now William is in grade 11, he's at school with Wander, he's much more independent now.
WILLIAM: I kind of want to see the toys.
NARRATOR: Thanks to the support of first Irving, and now Wander, William is able to meet his friend Natalie for one of their favourite activities: thrifting.
DESCRIPTION: William and the blonde-haired teenage girl, Natalie, look at a clothing rack.
WILLIAM: Natalie is my best friend. I've known her since grade nine.
NATALIE: And I sat beside him, and nobody else really said hi to me except for William.
[Camera shutter snaps]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows William and Natalie on the couch, looking at their smartphones. William sits at the end, and Wander lies beside him. Natalie lies with her head on Wander’s side. In another photo, Natalie and William smile at the camera while sitting on a bus. A third photo shows them relaxing on the couch with Wander lying on Natalie’s lap.
WILLIAM: We've been inseparable ever since, I guess.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, William wears a grey hat with a large green feather.
NATALIE: I love hats.
WILLIAM: If you like soft feathers, there's also—
[Natalie gasps]
DESCRIPTION: William picks up a black hat with a large red feather.
NATALIE: I have a-- I can match! Do you want to look at the tech in the back?
WILLIAM: Sure.
DESCRIPTION: William looks at a video player on a rack at the back of the store.
WILLIAM: This, to me, look like some sort of Betamax player. These are really hard to find these days.
NATALIE: Are you going to buy it?
WILLIAM: Yes. This is such a cool find. I'm taking it.
NATALIE: Oh my gosh! There's more!
DESCRIPTION: Wander stands behind William as he reads the back cover of a videotape.
NARRATOR: When William first started high school, it was a little intimidating. But with Irving by his side, it didn't take long for him to pursue what is now his passion.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Tiffany and Bert sit together.
BERT: We got a text, "I'm signing up for the school play!"
[Bert laughs]
TIFFANY: Yeah, a brand-new school, and then he got a role.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows William, Natalie, and a teenager with collar-length dark brown hair smiling.
BERT: He got the part. They wrote Irving into the play.
DESCRIPTION: William sits beside the television. A photograph shows William standing on a stage.
WILLIAM: He was a police dog in the first, then a monster in the second. Irving was an audience favourite.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, Natalie carries the videotape, and William carries the Betamax player.
NATALIE: I got your tape for you.
NARRATOR: This year, William's school is putting on a musical.
NATALIE: It's really cool. William's got a leading role this time.
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie stand in the aisle with Wander lying on the floor nearby.
NATALIE: Are we ready to impress them?
WILLIAM: Yes, we are. Two, three...
[Natalie sings]
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie dance.
NATALIE NARRATES: It's really exciting to help him with like the choreography, and like rehearsing, and doing lines together. That's a lot of fun.
NATALIE: Jazz hands!
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie wiggle their fingers.
[Natalie chuckles, hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie high-five.
NATALIE: Good job.
[Whoosh, pop]
DESCRIPTION: In his room, William speaks to the camera.
WILLIAM: Hey. It's me again.
DESCRIPTION: William connects wires and works on his laptop.
NARRATOR: William's passion for tech has even earned him a role to digitize his high school's video archives.
DESCRIPTION: William pushes a button on a video recorder.
WILLIAM: I'm going to hit rewind. I've been doing this since grade nine. Still doing it. Their archive is big.
[Whoosh, Janel plays the piano, William sings]
DESCRIPTION: In a room with a purple wall, William sits on a chair near Janel.
JANEL: And you keep going...
NARRATOR: To showcase his growing confidence, William has chosen to perform a solo musical recital for his friends and family. His music therapist, Janel, is helping him prepare.
JANEL: And here...
[Janel and William sing]
JANEL: My name is Janel Morphy, and I own Axon Music Therapy.
WILLIAM: So, what do you want to do next, Janel?
JANEL: So, how about, um, the song "Changes." When we sang that song there was kind of a lot of changes, um, happening for you.
DESCRIPTION: Janel picks up a guitar.
WILLIAM: Hence the name.
JANEL: Yeah.
[Janel chuckles]
WILLIAM: We write songs together, we talk about life.
[Janel plays the guitar]
WILLIAM SINGS: Starting grade 10, it's getting cold again.
JANEL: Part of music therapy can be supporting our clients through transitions, um, in their life, and a big transition for William was Irving actually retiring and then working with Wander now.
WILLIAM SINGS: Birthdays come—
[Sighs]
JANEL: So go from the chorus again.
WILLIAM: Okay.
[Janel speaks indistinctly]
WILLIAM: Okay, one, two—
TIFFANY: We've heard happy, silly songs, and we've heard songs that have kind of helped him work through more challenging moments in his life as well.
WILLIAM SINGS: Changes everywhere.
[Janel plays the guitar]
JANEL: Great! How did you feel about that?
WILLIAM: I think that went well. It's a good thing I didn't mess up the lyrics again.
[Janel laughs, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a building, a butterfly with black-and-white wings stands on a purple flower. A black and orange butterfly perches on a yellow flower. Outside, William, Bert, and Tiffany approach the front doors of the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. William holds Wander’s leash, and his dad holds the door open for them.
NARRATOR: With his solo performance just a couple of days away, it's perfect timing for a fun visit to one of William's favourite places to go with Wander and his family. The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.
DESCRIPTION: William watches butterflies flutter by as he walks on a trail.
WILLIAM: I like going to the Butterfly Conservatory. Obviously, there are the butterflies, which there are a great many of them, and it's really nice when they land on you.
TIFFANY: Wow...
DESCRIPTION: A green parrot perches on a feeder.
WILLIAM: Look at that one. Well, hello, little birdie!
[Bert laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A black-and-blue butterfly lands on William’s pink shirt.
TIFFANY: It's right on your belly!
DESCRIPTION: A butterfly flutters around Wander’s face.
TIFFANY: Oh! Wander said, "That one came really close to my nose!"
NARRATOR: Wander seems to be enjoying the butterflies, too.
DESCRIPTION: William sits on a bench, and Wander sits on the ground beside him.
WILLIAM: Wander is doing pretty well. There's lots of distractions, but she's handling it like a pro.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Williams’ parents, the teenager with collar-length hair, and other audience members sit in chairs.
NARRATOR: Tonight is William's solo performance for his friends and family. With Wander by his side, he's ready.
DESCRIPTION: William pets Wander.
JANEL: Today is a big step for William, because he's had a lot of experience performing with other people and singing in a group, but today he'll actually have the chance to perform his songs on his own.
[Drumroll plays, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: William stands at the front of the room, holding Wander’s leash.
WILLIAM: Welcome to my performance. This one's about Wander. How she's new at school, and you really shouldn't be distracted. Janel, you ready?
[Janel plays jaunty piano music, William clears his throat]
WILLIAM SINGS: Everyone go around to pet Irving. Pet Irving, pet Irving. It's Irving's retirement, so get your pets in now.
ORANGE-HAIRED GIRL: I love the message of his song. We really should respect Wander and let him do his job.
WILLIAM SINGS: But she's got a job to do, job to do, job to do. She's got a job to do, so please don't distract her.
[Audience cheers, applauds, upbeat music plays]
ORANGE-HAIRED GIRL: That exceeded all of my expectations.
TEEN WITH COLLAR-LENGTH HAIR: I think the performance was great.
BOY WITH BRAIDED HAIR: I was honestly so impressed.
RED-HAIRED GIRL: I think Will has a very bright future in the performing arts, if he continues with all this.
DESCRIPTION: William bows.
TIFFANY: It's always great to see Wiliam overcome his nervousness, and fears, and be able to perform. And Wander and Irving have both allowed him to do that.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In the Butterfly Conservatory, William walks on a path and then sits on the bench with Wander standing in front of him.
TIFFANY: Without Lions Foundation we wouldn't have had Irving or Wander, and we wouldn't be so happy.
[Tiffany laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the Butterfly Conservatory, William walks with Wander.
BERT: These dogs changed his world, they opened up the world for him, gave him that confidence to go and explore it.
DESCRIPTION: By the bench, Wander lies with her head against William’s foot.
TIFFANY: Both of them have given William more independence, but now Wander is going into kind of the bigger, wider world. Keeping him safe, making him feel loved, and facilitating relationships, she's going to be there.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Hazel and the chickens, William and Irving and Wander. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a backyard, a girl with braided blonde hair holds a chicken while other children pet it.
NARRATOR: A young girl throws a party with some unlikely and noisy guests.
BLONDE-HAIRED GIRL: These are my friends.
[Chickens cluck, whoosh, horses neigh]
DESCRIPTION: A girl with straight blonde hair leans back against a fence and looks at a horse that sniffs her jacket. She wears a grey touque and black gloves with her blue and purple jacket. She pets a miniature horse over the fence.
NARRATOR: Gentle giants help kids find their confidence.
DESCRIPTION: In a thrift store, a teenage boy with short dark brown hair and a teenage girl with shoulder-length blonde hair dance in an aisle. A Labrador retriever wearing a red service vest lies nearby on the floor.
BLONDE-HAIRED TEENAGE GIRL SINGS: Da, da, da, da.
NARRATOR: An autism assistance dog takes the stage with his best friend.
DESCRIPTION: In a room, the brown-haired boy holds the leash for the dog and turns towards a woman with long brown hair seated at a piano.
BROWN-HAIRED TEENAGE BOY: You ready, Janel?
[Piano music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The long-haired woman, Janel, plays the piano.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
Collar of Duty: Kids.
[Whoosh, slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Near a school playground, the blonde-haired girl, Hazel, runs to the camera.
NARRATOR: Meet Hazel.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Hazel sits on a trampoline. She sits at a coffee table, drawing on paper with a blue marker.
HAZEL: Hi! My name is Hazel, and I'm six years old. And I'm a very good artist.
DESCRIPTION: In a gym, Hazel wears Muay Thai gloves. In the backyard, Hazel and Olive sit back-to-back on a swing. Olive has long brown hair and blue eyes.
NARRATOR: Hazel likes Muay Thai, playing with her sister, Olive, and her cat, Chelsea.
[Meow]
DESCRIPTION: In a kitchen, Olive holds a white cat with grey tabby markings on their head. Hazel sits on the floor beside them.
NARRATOR: But Hazel also has some of the finest feathered friends on the block.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Chickens walk around in a coop.
NARRATOR: Her emotional support chickens.
[Chickens cluck]
NARRATOR: Introducing Coco.
DESCRIPTION: Coco is a brown chicken with a red comb.
SABRINA: She's been with us the longest. Sparkle...
[Chickens cluck, crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Sparkle is an orange chicken with white-tipped feathers and a flat red comb.
SABRINA: She likes to be the boss of everybody.
NARRATOR: Cruella...
[Crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Cruella has a pink comb. The feathers around her head are orange, and her body feathers are orange and black.
NARRATOR: Brownie...
[Crowd cheers]
DESCRIPTION: Brownie’s feathers are primarily dark brown, with brown around her head.
NARRATOR: And Madie.
[Crowd cheers, chickens cluck, whoosh, wings flap]
DESCRIPTION: Madie has brown feathers around her head and black feathers elsewhere. In the backyard, Hazel and Olive pose with their mom, Sabrina. Sabrina has long brown hair and wears a grey jacket and a pink shirt. Everyone holds a chicken. Olive’s chicken flaps her wings, and Olive releases her.
[Text On A Sign Beside A Highway Reads] Saint Catherines. The Garden City.
NARRATOR: Hazel lives with her mom, Sabrina, and older sister, Olive, in Saint Catharines, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina sits in a dining room chair.
SABRINA: My name is Sabrina, and I'm Hazel's mom.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel carries a camera to her bedroom and turns on the light. She pets Chelsea.
NARRATOR: Welcome to my room. Turn on the light.
[Soft music plays]
SABRINA: Hazel was diagnosed as a type-1 diabetic when she was two years old.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel pets Chelsea.
HAZEL: Say "Hi!"
DESCRIPTION: Hazel’s drawings and school photos are pinned to a refrigerator. In a schoolyard, Hazel makes faces at the camera.
SABRINA: So in the last four years, she's had a lot of life changes. From the things that we do, the places that we go, the things that we eat... And although it's been difficult, she's really come through as a stronger, brave little girl.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel waves at the camera.
HAZEL: Hi!
DESCRIPTION: In the house, Hazel drinks a yogurt drink. She and Olive look at a smartphone as they eat.
NARRATOR: When a healthy person eats, their body uses their pancreas to send out insulin, which helps keep their blood sugar from getting too high.
SABRINA: As a type-1 diabetic, Hazel's pancreas doesn't function the way it's supposed to. So that means she needs to wear a pump, and we need to input the foods that she eats, so that the pump can give her the insulin that her pancreas cannot. There is just treatment, so Hazel will be a type-1 diabetic for the rest of her life.
[Whoosh, pop, playful music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In front of the play structure in the schoolyard, Hazel stands beside a boy with short blond hair.
HAZEL: Hi, my name is Hazel!
BLOND-HAIRED BOY: Um—
HAZEL: And this is Jake.
[Hazel shrieks]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and the blond-haired boy, Jake, slide down a slide together.
NARRATOR: Like most kids, Hazel just wants to have fun. But sometimes Hazel's fun gets interrupted.
[Beep, soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel stops on the play structure.
NARRATOR: By The blood sugar monitor.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Hazel stops drawing.
NARRATOR: While playing.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and Olive sit on the couch, playing on their smartphones.
NARRATOR: At school.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In a classroom, Hazel rests her chin on her hands.
NARRATOR: And at home.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: At the dining room table, Hazel stops drawing.
[Soft music plays]
[Sign On The Chicken Coop Reads] Welcome to our coop.
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Coco walks in front of the chicken house. A sign taped to the chicken house lists the chickens and text reads, “The Pretty Girls.” Olive and Hazel stand in the enclosure.
OLIVE: Do you want to collect the eggs?
HAZEL: Yeah.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Olive opens the roof over the nest boxes, and Hazel gathers eggs. She puts them in a colourful basket carried by Olive.
NARRATOR: Due to Hazel's diabetes, she has endured numerous hospital stays and needle pricks. One day, a social worker suggested an emotional support animal.
[Upbeat music plays, chickens cluck]
SABRINA: You know, something that she could love. Something that she could tell her fears to. Something that she could hug when she was having a hard time. Something she could just sit with.
[Chickens cluck]
HAZEL: I go to see the chickens when I'm sad. They make me feel happy.
HAZEL: We got four eggs!
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Sabrina walks towards the coop.
SABRINA NARRATES: And so when I had asked her what kind of animal would you like, and she had said chickens. I mean, we got a kick out of it!
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Sabrina pets a chicken. In photographs, Hazel hugs Coco.
SABRINA: I looked into it, and I thought, you know what, if it's going to help her, why wouldn't I do it? And honestly, the amount of love that she has for those chickens, and the amount of happiness, and the amount of pride that she has for them has really been an incredible thing to watch.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the kitchen, Suzelle wears a cream shirt. She has shoulder-length blonde hair. In the backyard, Sabrina holds the coop door open and pours feed on the ground.
SUZELLE: My name is Suzelle. I'm called "Gammy." I have six grandchildren. Hazel is my youngest one, if she's not feeling too good, or a little bit worried about things, she'll go outside, and first thing you know, she'll be talking with them.
HAZEL: Do you want to play tag?
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Olive reaches for Coco, and Coco runs out of reach.
SABRINA: The chickens, she would go to them a lot, she would talk to them. I think that they just made her feel better in general, that they weren't judging her, they weren't a negative. The chickens were just a happy spot for her.
[Children chatter]
DESCRIPTION: At school, Hazel runs to a door with three classmates and enters the schoolyard. Hazel swings on the swing set.
SABRINA: Hazel's in grade one. She plays around in the yard, just like her friends do. The difference is that Hazel has a nurse that stays at the school with her, every single day, to make sure that she gets the insulin and the food that she needs, so that she can learn, and play, and have fun, just like everybody else.
DESCRIPTION: In the school, Sandy holds a smartphone and writes in a binder. She has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a blue t-shirt over a black long-sleeve shirt.
NARRATOR: Sandy Kovacs is the owner of EnCompass Home Care Solutions and Hazel's in-school nurse.
DESCRIPTION: At home, Hazel sits on the trampoline.
HAZEL: When I get low, she gives me insulin.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: In a classroom, Hazel sits at her desk, writing. Sandy sits at a desk behind her, writing notes in the binder.
SABRINA NARRATES: Even though she has the pump, she still has to be monitored very closely.
DESCRIPTION: Sandy sits beside Hazel and gives her a container of raisins.
SANDY: So, her blood sugar's gotten low, so she's actually showing a double drop. So this is where we have to intervene. This is why I'm giving her the raisins, because it's a very quick sugar, and it's going to be easily absorbed into her system, to bring her blood sugar back up to a safe level.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Sandy sits at the desk at the back of the classroom. Hazel turns in her desk and nods to Jake, who gives her a thumbs up.
SANDY: With the emotional support animals, I always thought of maybe a dog, sometimes a cat... Um, chickens really blew my mind, but in a good way.
[Sandy laughs]
SANDY: So, the chickens have been a very positive addition to her life.
DESCRIPTION: In class, Hazel puts up her hand.
HAZEL: Ooh! Ooh!
SANDY: And we found that after she started to care for her chickens, that her moods were a lot better. She wasn't as timid; she wasn't as frightened.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and her classmates move their arms like wings.
HAZEL: Bok, bok, bok, bok.
SANDY: She was a little more animated. And she would talk to us about her chickens. Like she would tell us, "Well, this is what Coco did when I went in there this morning, and oh, and Brownie laid four eggs this morning!"
[Chicken clucks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, Coco looks at the ground. In the kitchen, Sabrina holds Hazel’s insulin pump.
NARRATOR: Hazel's insulin pump is a small device, about the size of a deck of cards. A small needle places in a tube under the skin, and insulin is delivered through the tube.
[Beep]
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina unwinds a tube and enters data into the pump.
SABRINA: Today is Hazel's pump change day. Every three days, we go through this little routine, where I take off Hazel's old pump, set up a new one, and then put it on her, and she helps chose the spot.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel lifts the side of her shirt and points to a spot on her tummy.
SABRINA: Ready?
HAZEL: Yep.
SABRINA: One, two, three!
DESCRIPTION: Sabrina puts a round patch connected to the tube on Hazel’s tummy, and Hazel smiles. Sabrina slides the pump into a white pocket in a shirt beneath Hazel’s hooded sweater.
SABRINA: And it's on! Let's put it back in the pump pocket that Gammy made for you.
HAZEL: I'm brave.
SABRINA: You are brave!
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Hazel and Olive walk towards the coop, wearing their Muay Thai gloves. They enter the coop and spar.
NARRATOR: With what seems like a lot of obstacles, Hazel is working on building her self-confidence. When she shows off her Muay Thai moves to her chickens, she feels unstoppable. With the support of her chickens and the structure and the structure of Muay Thai, she's pushing her limits, and growing stronger each day.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel and Sabrina crouch in front of a martial arts studio. Sabrina holds a pair of Muay Thai gloves.
HAZEL: We are at Muay Thai.
SABRINA: Hazel's gonna be practicing her combos and her teeps.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel punches the air.
HAZEL: Jab, with a cross, hook—
SABRINA: You've got it.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel kicks the air in front of her.
SABRINA: And then a teep.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Inside the martial arts studio, trophies gleam on a shelf.
[Niagara B.J.J. Code Of Conduct Poster Reads] One, bow in and out the mats. Two, always be respectful to fellow practitioners regardless of rank. Three, always address Black Belts as “Professor” and other instructors as “Coach.” Four, no coaching your children. Five, If you are late for class, wait outside of mat area until welcomed by instructor. Six, when receiving instructions, students must sit or stand with good posture.
[Cody instructs in the background]
DESCRIPTION: At the front of a class, Cody demonstrates a punch. He has short curly brown hair, a beard, and a moustache. Cody wears a red shirt and a Black Belt. Hazel and Olive wear black shirts with a red skull on the front, and their gloves. They practice punching and their teeps.
CODY: My name is Cody Kent. I'm Hazel and Olive's Muay Thai coach. Hazel is one of our youngest students, and obviously, her stature is very small. It's something to really overcome her fears, and she's doing well with the hitting, and the getting hit part, which are two separate things to get use to, but she's doing great with both.
DESCRIPTION: Hazel taps Cody’s gloves and hits one. In the living room, Hazel sits on the trampoline.
HAZEL: When it hurts him, he taps, and then you've got to let go. Because it's dangerous.
DESCRIPTION: In the studio, Hazel and Olive punch forward. Hazel punches the focus mitts strapped to Cody's forearms.
CODY: Her social skills are getting a lot better, her teamwork skills, making friendships with kids that she's never seen before, on top of all the other things that martial arts gives you, and Muay Thai, she's been doing really well. She's building a lot of character through all of the stuff she's doing, with the chickens and with Muay Thai.
[Whoosh, pop, light music plays, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, paper lanterns and fans sway in the wind inside the coop. A serving dish holds plain and glazed doughnut holes. Hazel reaches into the coop while Jake and two girls stand behind her. The girls wear leis, and Jake wears sunglasses and a party hat.
NARRATOR: Today, Hazel is hosting a tea party. With a big boost from the chickens, her confidence is soaring, and she can't wait to show them off to her friends.
DESCRIPTION: The children enter the chicken coop
HAZEL: Hi. Hi!
CHILDREN: Hi! Hi! Hi!
[Chickens cluck]
HAZEL: These are my friends.
DESCRIPTION: Jake holds a chicken. Hazel holds Coco, and Jake and a black-haired girl pet the chicken.
NARRATOR: With her one-of-a-kind chickens by her side, Hazel is showing the world that her challenges don't define her. They only make her shine brighter.
[Children laugh, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel opens the roof over the nest boxes.
HAZEL: Let's go pick up the eggs.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: The black-haired girl holds a chicken, and Hazel smiles beside her.
HAZEL: We got two eggs.
[Water splashes]
DESCRIPTION: At a patio table, Hazel pours water from a teapot into Jake’s teacup. Jake holds his hands by his chest and flaps his elbows. He hops, and Hazel follows him.
[Children chatter]
SABRINA NARRATES: Knowing that you have to get poked with a needle every three days for probably the rest of your life is where it really becomes scary and stressful. Especially for a little kid.
HAZEL: Bok! Bok! I'm a chicken.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel smiles and drinks from her teacup.
SABRINA: She's really coming into herself and realizing how brave she is to do these things every day. To have something that can bring you happiness after, really helps give a sense of peace. That there is stress in life, but there is also lots of good.
SUZELLE: It's the best thing that could've happened to her.
[Chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: In the coop, the chickens eat. In the schoolyard, Hazel holds a blue ball and runs. In the martial arts studio, she waves her glove and smiles. In the backyard, she sits back-to-back with Olive on the swing. In the kitchen, Hazel kisses Chelsea the cat.
SABRINA: With the help of the chickens, she started to be proud of herself, and to accept herself, and to have this mentality that, you know, everybody is different, and I can do what everyone else can do, it just might sometimes take a little bit longer, and I might have to take a little break in between.
[Hazel laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Hazel stands in the kitchen with Sabrina. In the schoolyard, she slides down the slide and waves. In the coop, Hazel hugs a chicken.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows snow covering a farm and the surrounding fields. Two horses stand on a path, near an open gate leading to a field.
NARRATOR: Welcome to Horse Discovery Farm in Millbrook, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: A woman with blonde hair holds the lead of the miniature horse. Nearby, the girl with straight blonde hair wears her blue and purple jacket and purple snow pants. Behind the girl, horses watch over a paddock fence.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: Okay! Come on, Zoro.
NARRATOR: Horse Discovery offers hands-on learning for kids of all ages.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, the blonde-haired woman, Cheri, sits near hay bales.
CHERI: So, my name is Cheri Davidson. Lots of kids come here because they struggle with anxiety, a lot of worries...
[Horse nickers]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, a brown horse nudges the straight-haired girl’s head as she leans against a gate. The girl pets a different horse’s nose. She pets horses’ necks.
CHERI: And they really love animals. So, this gives them an opportunity to meet with the horses, learn from the horses, while feeling safe, and comfortable to explore. And play.
NARRATOR: Meet 10-year-old Claire.
DESCRIPTION: The straight-haired girl, Claire, leans against the paddock fence.
CHERI: How does his winter coat feel?
DESCRIPTION: Claire pets a dark brown horse’s side.
CLAIRE: Good.
CHERI: Yeah? Does it feel different than Zoro's?
DESCRIPTION: Claire nods. She leans against the paddock fence, and the brown horse sniffs her head.
CHERI: Claire is on the autism spectrum, and when she first started coming to the farm, she was really nervous. I was really happy to see that within one or two sessions, she's become really confident around the horses.
DESCRIPTION: By a fence, Jenni wears a grey touque over her blonde hair. She wears a blue coat. Near the barn, Claire brushes a white horse. She leans her cheek against the horse’s side.
JENNI: My name is Jenni, and I'm Claire's mom. One of the reasons why we started coming to Horse Discovery is to help her work on her self-regulation and being more present.
DESCRIPTION: Claire puts her hand through the fence, and the miniature horse, Zoro, licks her fingers.
CHERI: So, we start every session by doing an activity called "meet the herd." We'll see which horse is clearly wanting to work with Claire. They'll come to the fence, they'll put their head over the fence, they'll often sniff her hand. The horse that chose Claire was our miniature horse, Zoro.
[Zoro neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, Claire leads Zoro towards a pylon as Cheri watches from the gate.
CHERI: It was a really interesting to see how well he responded to Claire, and how much more willing he was to work with her. For me, it showed me how much confidence Claire has.
DESCRIPTION: By a fence, Claire pets a large black horse with a white mark on their forehead.
CHERI: And here's Seamus!
CLAIRE: I like to hug them.
[Horses nicker]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, horses eat hay.
CHERI NARRATES: When Claire comes here, she gets to observe the horses fully with her eyes, she gets to hear all of the various sounds in the barn, where the horses are eating. Their chewing is very soothing.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Claire brushes the white horse’s tail.
CHERI NARRATES: When we're brushing the horses, she'll notice all the different colours in a particular tail.
CHERI: What do you notice about Soleil's winter coat?
CLAIRE: It's soft.
DESCRIPTION: Claire pets the white horse, Soleil.
CHERI: Just noticing every little detail seems to really soothe Claire.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Claire pets a brown horse.
CHERI: How does her coat feel?
CHERI NARRATES: And it's a point of connection between her and I, and the horses.
[Cheerful music plays, Claire speaks in the background]
DESCRIPTION: In the paddock, Claire leads Zoro around a pylon. Zoro tosses his head and tangles the lead, and Claire carefully untangles it.
CHERI: I think what Claire took away today was confidence. Because she worked with a little horse, that has a big attitude, who can be hard to handle. And she did it beautifully by staying calm, and present, and in connection with Zoro.
DESCRIPTION: In an adjoining paddock, Soleil and two other horses watch Claire and Zoro.
CHERI: Okay, Claire, you take that out...
JENNI: It's just been a great experience for Claire to help her become more confident.
CHERI: Nice!
[Wings flap, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: Birds fly over the snowy farm. In a living room, the brown-haired teenage boy jumps in place. He wears a pink shirt and eyeglasses.
OFF-CAMERA WOMAN: Ready...?
BROWN-HAIRED TEENAGE BOY: No. Now I'm ready.
[Upbeat music plays]
NARRATOR: Meet William, a passionate and determined teenager who loves history, rollercoasters, and vintage tech.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A video cassette pops out of a camera. In a room, the brown-haired teenage boy, William, sits by a television. Outside, he stands by a bench surrounded by bushes and trees. In his bedroom, pictures of mushrooms hang on the wall, and mushrooms decorate his bedspread.
WILLIAM: I'm William, I'm 16 years old. Welcome to my room! I like mushrooms.
DESCRIPTION: In a backyard, William poses by a shed with a smiling man with short grey hair and a woman with shoulder-length brown hair. Everyone wears eyeglasses. A golden Labrador lies on the grass between the man and the woman, and William holds the leash of a second golden Labrador wearing a red service vest.
NARRATOR: As evidenced by his mushroom-themed bedroom. He lives with his parents, his two cats, and two very special dogs, in Cambridge, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, the brown-haired woman, Tiffany, sits beside the grey-haired man, Bert.
TIFFANY: I'm Tiffany, and I am William's mom.
BERT: I'm Bert, I'm William's dad.
[Siamese cat meows, calico cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: William pets a Siamese cat, and then a calico cat.
WILLIAM: This is Kooky, our second cat is Lucy.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, William holds his dog’s leash.
TIFFANY: Wander, she is just a sweetheart.
DESCRIPTION: In the house, William pets his dog, Wander. He sits on the floor in front of a couch, and Wander lies on his leg.
WILLIAM: She's a two-year-old golden lab, and she's just wonderful. You're going to be a T.V. star, Wander.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, Wander lies on the floor.
NARRATOR: William has autism, and Wander goes everywhere with him, as his autism assistance dog.
WILLIAM: Wander, she's mostly there as moral support.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, William pets Wander.
WILLIAM: Good girl!
DESCRIPTION: In front of the couch, William pets Wander.
WILLIAM: When I get nervous I can go pet her, and that helps to make me feel better, and more prepared for whatever I'm going to do.
TIFFANY: She loves to be touched, and she loves to cuddle.
WILLIAM: She's so soft and cuddly.
[Mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In his bedroom, William pets the calico cat, Lucy.
TIFFANY: Self-regulation was an issue that came along with the autism. So William, he had a lot of big emotions, just because he had lots of big things he was dealing with. And our pediatrician wondered whether or not a service dog would help.
[Light music plays]
NARRATOR: Before Wander, there was Irving.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, William pets the second dog while Wander lies nearby on the floor.
WILLIAM: Hey, Irving, you're on camera. Irving was my service dog for about eight years. Irving finally got to retire a month ago. You're a good boy, Irving. He is just the sweetest boy ever.
DESCRIPTION: William sits on a chair, and Irving stands on his hind legs and puts his front legs on William.
WILLIAM: Irving's doing what we call "meerkat," where he stands on his hind legs and tries to get support on you.
BERT: Irving is retired now, but he is going nowhere.
TIFFANY: Yeah, we couldn't imagine life without Irving here.
[Whoosh, pop, soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: A framed sketch on the wall shows baby William gazing at a leaf.
TIFFANY: William was a medically fragile baby.
DESCRIPTION: On the couch, William wears headphones and holds a tablet. He uses Wander as a pillow.
WILLIAM: I have Moebius syndrome, and that caused a bunch of various medical challenges to me. And when I was born, I was not able to smile or frown.
TIFFANY: A common feature of Moebius syndrome is a lack of facial expression, because the cranial nerves aren't developed. And William had lots of feelings of being, I guess, sad and embarrassed, because he couldn't smile. William's had 13 or 14 different surgeries. His biggest surgeries have been surgeries to allow him to smile.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: William smiles. A plaque beneath a statue reads, “Lions Foundation of Canada. Dog Guides.” An aerial view shows a large training centre surrounded by trees and fenced areas.
NARRATOR: Fortunately for William and his family, Lions Foundation of Canada dog guides had just the pup to help support William. First, with Irving, and now with Wander. Art was Wander's trainer.
DESCRIPTION: On the grass beside a winding path, Art wears a bright red jacket and eyeglasses. He has short grey hair.
ART: Wander was a little sensitive to begin with, but that was because she wasn't with her person. Now she found this person, in William.
DESCRIPTION: In his kitchen, William feeds Wander.
WILLIAM: Okay.
ART: Together, they just blossomed.
[Gentle music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, William sits on a towel.
NARRATOR: Autism assistance dogs are trained to perform a number of tasks, including visit.
DESCRIPTION: Wander lies across William’s lap.
WILLIAM: Wander, visit. Good girl! A visit from Wander is especially helpful when I get frustrated. It's essentially like giving me a hug. This helps very assuringly.
[Whoosh, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: William leans forward and kisses the back of Wander’s neck. Later, he holds Wander’s leash as they walk on a sidewalk with the blonde-haired teenage girl. They enter the thrift store.
TIFFANY: Well, now William is in grade 11, he's at school with Wander, he's much more independent now.
WILLIAM: I kind of want to see the toys.
NARRATOR: Thanks to the support of first Irving, and now Wander, William is able to meet his friend Natalie for one of their favourite activities: thrifting.
DESCRIPTION: William and the blonde-haired teenage girl, Natalie, look at a clothing rack.
WILLIAM: Natalie is my best friend. I've known her since grade nine.
NATALIE: And I sat beside him, and nobody else really said hi to me except for William.
[Camera shutter snaps]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows William and Natalie on the couch, looking at their smartphones. William sits at the end, and Wander lies beside him. Natalie lies with her head on Wander’s side. In another photo, Natalie and William smile at the camera while sitting on a bus. A third photo shows them relaxing on the couch with Wander lying on Natalie’s lap.
WILLIAM: We've been inseparable ever since, I guess.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, William wears a grey hat with a large green feather.
NATALIE: I love hats.
WILLIAM: If you like soft feathers, there's also—
[Natalie gasps]
DESCRIPTION: William picks up a black hat with a large red feather.
NATALIE: I have a-- I can match! Do you want to look at the tech in the back?
WILLIAM: Sure.
DESCRIPTION: William looks at a video player on a rack at the back of the store.
WILLIAM: This, to me, look like some sort of Betamax player. These are really hard to find these days.
NATALIE: Are you going to buy it?
WILLIAM: Yes. This is such a cool find. I'm taking it.
NATALIE: Oh my gosh! There's more!
DESCRIPTION: Wander stands behind William as he reads the back cover of a videotape.
NARRATOR: When William first started high school, it was a little intimidating. But with Irving by his side, it didn't take long for him to pursue what is now his passion.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Tiffany and Bert sit together.
BERT: We got a text, "I'm signing up for the school play!"
[Bert laughs]
TIFFANY: Yeah, a brand-new school, and then he got a role.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows William, Natalie, and a teenager with collar-length dark brown hair smiling.
BERT: He got the part. They wrote Irving into the play.
DESCRIPTION: William sits beside the television. A photograph shows William standing on a stage.
WILLIAM: He was a police dog in the first, then a monster in the second. Irving was an audience favourite.
DESCRIPTION: In the store, Natalie carries the videotape, and William carries the Betamax player.
NATALIE: I got your tape for you.
NARRATOR: This year, William's school is putting on a musical.
NATALIE: It's really cool. William's got a leading role this time.
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie stand in the aisle with Wander lying on the floor nearby.
NATALIE: Are we ready to impress them?
WILLIAM: Yes, we are. Two, three...
[Natalie sings]
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie dance.
NATALIE NARRATES: It's really exciting to help him with like the choreography, and like rehearsing, and doing lines together. That's a lot of fun.
NATALIE: Jazz hands!
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie wiggle their fingers.
[Natalie chuckles, hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: William and Natalie high-five.
NATALIE: Good job.
[Whoosh, pop]
DESCRIPTION: In his room, William speaks to the camera.
WILLIAM: Hey. It's me again.
DESCRIPTION: William connects wires and works on his laptop.
NARRATOR: William's passion for tech has even earned him a role to digitize his high school's video archives.
DESCRIPTION: William pushes a button on a video recorder.
WILLIAM: I'm going to hit rewind. I've been doing this since grade nine. Still doing it. Their archive is big.
[Whoosh, Janel plays the piano, William sings]
DESCRIPTION: In a room with a purple wall, William sits on a chair near Janel.
JANEL: And you keep going...
NARRATOR: To showcase his growing confidence, William has chosen to perform a solo musical recital for his friends and family. His music therapist, Janel, is helping him prepare.
JANEL: And here...
[Janel and William sing]
JANEL: My name is Janel Morphy, and I own Axon Music Therapy.
WILLIAM: So, what do you want to do next, Janel?
JANEL: So, how about, um, the song "Changes." When we sang that song there was kind of a lot of changes, um, happening for you.
DESCRIPTION: Janel picks up a guitar.
WILLIAM: Hence the name.
JANEL: Yeah.
[Janel chuckles]
WILLIAM: We write songs together, we talk about life.
[Janel plays the guitar]
WILLIAM SINGS: Starting grade 10, it's getting cold again.
JANEL: Part of music therapy can be supporting our clients through transitions, um, in their life, and a big transition for William was Irving actually retiring and then working with Wander now.
WILLIAM SINGS: Birthdays come—
[Sighs]
JANEL: So go from the chorus again.
WILLIAM: Okay.
[Janel speaks indistinctly]
WILLIAM: Okay, one, two—
TIFFANY: We've heard happy, silly songs, and we've heard songs that have kind of helped him work through more challenging moments in his life as well.
WILLIAM SINGS: Changes everywhere.
[Janel plays the guitar]
JANEL: Great! How did you feel about that?
WILLIAM: I think that went well. It's a good thing I didn't mess up the lyrics again.
[Janel laughs, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a building, a butterfly with black-and-white wings stands on a purple flower. A black and orange butterfly perches on a yellow flower. Outside, William, Bert, and Tiffany approach the front doors of the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. William holds Wander’s leash, and his dad holds the door open for them.
NARRATOR: With his solo performance just a couple of days away, it's perfect timing for a fun visit to one of William's favourite places to go with Wander and his family. The Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.
DESCRIPTION: William watches butterflies flutter by as he walks on a trail.
WILLIAM: I like going to the Butterfly Conservatory. Obviously, there are the butterflies, which there are a great many of them, and it's really nice when they land on you.
TIFFANY: Wow...
DESCRIPTION: A green parrot perches on a feeder.
WILLIAM: Look at that one. Well, hello, little birdie!
[Bert laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A black-and-blue butterfly lands on William’s pink shirt.
TIFFANY: It's right on your belly!
DESCRIPTION: A butterfly flutters around Wander’s face.
TIFFANY: Oh! Wander said, "That one came really close to my nose!"
NARRATOR: Wander seems to be enjoying the butterflies, too.
DESCRIPTION: William sits on a bench, and Wander sits on the ground beside him.
WILLIAM: Wander is doing pretty well. There's lots of distractions, but she's handling it like a pro.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Williams’ parents, the teenager with collar-length hair, and other audience members sit in chairs.
NARRATOR: Tonight is William's solo performance for his friends and family. With Wander by his side, he's ready.
DESCRIPTION: William pets Wander.
JANEL: Today is a big step for William, because he's had a lot of experience performing with other people and singing in a group, but today he'll actually have the chance to perform his songs on his own.
[Drumroll plays, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: William stands at the front of the room, holding Wander’s leash.
WILLIAM: Welcome to my performance. This one's about Wander. How she's new at school, and you really shouldn't be distracted. Janel, you ready?
[Janel plays jaunty piano music, William clears his throat]
WILLIAM SINGS: Everyone go around to pet Irving. Pet Irving, pet Irving. It's Irving's retirement, so get your pets in now.
ORANGE-HAIRED GIRL: I love the message of his song. We really should respect Wander and let him do his job.
WILLIAM SINGS: But she's got a job to do, job to do, job to do. She's got a job to do, so please don't distract her.
[Audience cheers, applauds, upbeat music plays]
ORANGE-HAIRED GIRL: That exceeded all of my expectations.
TEEN WITH COLLAR-LENGTH HAIR: I think the performance was great.
BOY WITH BRAIDED HAIR: I was honestly so impressed.
RED-HAIRED GIRL: I think Will has a very bright future in the performing arts, if he continues with all this.
DESCRIPTION: William bows.
TIFFANY: It's always great to see Wiliam overcome his nervousness, and fears, and be able to perform. And Wander and Irving have both allowed him to do that.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In the Butterfly Conservatory, William walks on a path and then sits on the bench with Wander standing in front of him.
TIFFANY: Without Lions Foundation we wouldn't have had Irving or Wander, and we wouldn't be so happy.
[Tiffany laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the Butterfly Conservatory, William walks with Wander.
BERT: These dogs changed his world, they opened up the world for him, gave him that confidence to go and explore it.
DESCRIPTION: By the bench, Wander lies with her head against William’s foot.
TIFFANY: Both of them have given William more independence, but now Wander is going into kind of the bigger, wider world. Keeping him safe, making him feel loved, and facilitating relationships, she's going to be there.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Hazel and the chickens, William and Irving and Wander. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
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