Collar of Duty Kids

Descriptive Transcript

DESCRIPTION: A golden Labrador retriever dog sits with a young girl, Zoey, who has blonde hair and is wearing a pink cardigan.

NARRATOR: A skilled companion dog named Andy helps a six-year-old girl with a rare genetic disorder.

ZOEY: Andy is my best friend.

DESCRIPTION: In a barn, a group of children do yoga poses while goats surround them.

[Goat bleating]

NARRATOR: Kids stretch with llamas and breathe with goats on an animal therapy farm.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Stretch.

DESCRIPTION: A golden doodle dog sits with a young boy, Anthony, who has brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt.

NARRATOR: A service dog trained in seizure response.

ANTHONY: Take a paw.

NARRATOR: finds her match with an active six-year-old boy.

[Lively music]

[Dog barking]

DESCRIPTION: An animated dog puts on its ‘Collar of Duty’ vest and chases a ball. A squirrel runs by.

[Title] “Collar of Duty Kids”.

NARRATOR: When my vest is on, duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. "Collar of Duty Kids."

DESCRIPTION: Various videos show Zoey playing with Andy, her skilled companion dog. Zoey blows bubbles and swings on a swingset. Zoey and her family wave.

NARRATOR: Meet Zoey, a bundle of energy.

LIANA: Don't you think… Oh, oh.

[Zoey laughs]

NARRATOR: 5-year-old Zoey lives in Cambridge, Ontario, with mom, dad, big sister Bella, and her best friend, her dog, Andy,

ZOEY: He's my baby.

NARRATOR: or as Zoey refers to him, her baby.

ZOEY: Andy!

LIANA: Zoey is small but mighty. She is sassy, she is fierce, she is very, very silly.

[Zoey making silly noises]

LIANA: very goofy.

[Zoey laughing]

DESCRIPTION: Zoey’s parents sit together. Liana has long blonde hair and is wearing a green shirt. Mike has brown hair and is wearing a black shirt.

LIANA: Zoey. Very loving, though.

LIANA: I'm Liana, I am Zoey's mom.

MIKE: I'm Mike, and I'm Zoey's dad.

ZOEY: Andy, up, up!

DESCRIPTION: Andy jumps onto Zoey's bed and they cuddle together.

MIKE: Zoey and Andy are best buddies,

ZOEY: Up, up! Aw, he's my baby.

MIKE: And they like to snuggle together. They just get along so well.

LIANA: She is able to pretty much do anything with him, and he is happy and content. Oh, big hug.

DESCRIPTION: Liana and Zoey prepare to take Andy on a walk. A montage shows Andy and Zoey together.

LIANA: Okay, let's put his gentle leader on. He's a baby.

NARRATOR: Andy is no ordinary dog, he's a National Service Dogs skilled companion dog.

DESCRIPTION: Outside their home is Tammie, with short, brown and pink hair, wearing a gray shirt.

TAMMIE: When Zoey had some trouble with sleeping and needing that extra something, I suggested that they look at a companion dog. I'm Zoey's grandma, Tammie.

ZOEY: He's my baby. Oh, my baby.

DESCRIPTION: Various videos and photographs show Zoey and Andy together.

NARRATOR: A companion dog provides comfort and emotional support, while service dogs are specially trained to perform specific, skilled tasks like detecting seizures or low blood sugar.

LIANA: So Andy, the way that he calms Zoey down, the biggest thing would be snuggling.

DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Zoey, as a newborn, lying on a blanket with a medical tube in her nose. More photographs show Zoey in doctors' offices and at home.

NARRATOR: Zoey has a condition called Feingold syndrome, which comes with some physical challenges.

LIANA: When she was born, she was very, very small, so she was full-term, and she was only four pounds seven and a half ounces.

NARRATOR: The average weight of a full-term newborn is around seven pounds.

LIANA: So at about three months old is when we actually got the diagnosis of her having Feingold syndrome.

DESCRIPTION: In Zoey's bedroom, Liana and Zoey pour formula into a medical IV bag.

LIANA: You'll help me? Okay. Make sure I don't spill it. So she was born small, she still is very, very small. So this is formula. You get a continuous feed all night long, because you don't like to eat much during the day, so this kind of supplements her diet.

ZOEY: In my tummy.

DESCRIPTION: Liana and Zoey colour together at a table.

LIANA: So Feingold presents, for Zoey, with some developmental delays. That's not to diminish anything with Zoey, because she understands a lot and is able to do a lot, but she has to work really hard.

TAMMIE: I volunteered for National Service Dogs several years ago. I love the organization, I love what they do.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey and Andy play together.

ZOEY: Andy, drop it.

DESCRIPTION: Dani, wearing a National Service Dog jacket, has brown hair and glasses.

DANI: My name's Dani, and I'm the executive director of National Service Dogs, and I'm also the co-founder.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey and her family prepare Andy to go for a walk.

LIANA: Say, "Suit up." Suit up.

DANI: A big part of what our skilled companion dogs do is they provide various tasks that we train them to support mental health. So the nice thing about Andy is he's fun-loving, just like Zoey, so the two of them can get into trouble together, and do all that great stuff, and have some fun together, but when it's quiet time, he also knows how to settle, he provides sleep support for her, and he's quite willing to do that.

DESCRIPTION: Various videos show Zoey cuddling with Andy.

DANI: Some dogs don't like to be laid on, manhandled. He thrives.

DESCRIPTION: Videos show Andy and Zoey’s sister, Bella, sitting together.

BELLA: Andy and Zoey loves to read books together. They both like to snuggle together.

MIKE: Andy is Zoey's companion dog, but he's also the family's companion dog. No matter who has a bad day, Andy always seems to know who needs the best snuggles, and he just goes right up to that person, lays down on them and snuggles in. He's so perfect for our family. He helps everybody.

DESCRIPTION: Videos and photos show a gray cat lying with Andy and, at another time, walking around outside.

NARRATOR: Even the family cat, Teddy.

[Teddy meows]

DESCRIPTION: Bella and Zoey sit together on a couch, and play together in a park.

BELLA: I'm Bella, I'm Zoey's older sister. We like to color, play hockey outside. There's lots of things that we can do together.

MIKE: We love going to the park together as a family, and taking Andy with us, and letting the girls run around with him.

TAMMIE: Zoey is the most fun-loving, happy individual you will ever meet. She's outgoing, she's not afraid of anything at all. She will try anything.

DESCRIPTION: Bella and Zoey rock up and down on the seesaw, then slide down the park’s slides.

NARRATOR: That includes the seesaw and the slides.

ZOEY: Ooh!

[Children laughing]

ZOEY: Andy.

[Bella laughs]

BELLA: Oh. My sister is very chatty, but some people can't understand her.

ZOEY: Andy was so cute.

BELLA: "Andy is so cute," she's saying.

LIANA: Zoey communicates a little bit differently than other kids her age. She is able to say some words and some sentences.

ZOEY: I Zoey.

LIANA: The other thing that she will do is use her communication device.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey sits on her bed with Andy and her tablet communication device. She types on her communication device, and it reads aloud.

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] Andy is my best friend. He keeps me calm and helps me sleep at night.

LIANA: So Zoey does struggle with learning at school, and so we have a tutor coming in twice a week, Michaele-Anne.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey opens the front door to greet Michaele-Anne, who has light brown hair and is wearing a pink shirt. They hug.

MICHAELE ANNE: Hello. Coming to the house is the highlight of my day, because as soon as I walk in the door, it's the biggest hug. Are you ready to work on your communication device?

DESCRIPTION: Zoey and Michaele-Anne sit at the kitchen table with a textbook and her communication device.

NARRATOR: Zoey's communication device has pre-programmed words and sentences that help Zoey say what she needs to all at the push of a button.

MICHAELE ANNE: She is the boss, not me, and it is her, but it's the best time. I laugh the whole time I'm with her.

ZOEY: Alphabet.

MICHAELE ANNE: Alphabet.

ZOEY: Alphabet.

MICHAELE ANNE: Okay, let's go. Alphabet. Find me the alphabet.

ZOEY: I did that already.

MICHAELE ANNE: Find me the alphabet.

[Zoey chatting]

MICHAELE ANNE: Find me the alphabet. What letter is this?

ZOEY: Mm.

MICHAELE ANNE: Mm. Can you find me M? M. Good job! Since I've been working with her, she's improving so much. I don't see her that behind everybody else, I see her thriving. Okay, let's find numbers.

ZOEY: One, two, three. Two, three, four.

MICHAELE ANNE: Four, can you find me number four.

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] Four.

MICHAELE ANNE: So the communication device is a whole world for Zoey. It's her voice, and it's her way of communicating to the rest of us. How are you feeling today?

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] I'm feeling happy.

MICHAELE ANNE: Happy. Yes, you're feeling happy.

LIANA: Zoey, let's feed Andy.

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] I like feeding Andy his breakfast and dinner, and he loves when I give him dog treats. Here, treats.

DESCRIPTION: Liana and Zoey feed Andy together.

LIANA: That's it, put it in the bowl. Andy. Nope. Yep, don't spill it though. You tell him what to do.

ZOEY: Take it, take it.

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] I am very good at riding horses. I go to Pride Stables, and it's so much fun.

[Lively music]

DESCRIPTION: Horses walk around a pen; a large barn is nearby.

NARRATOR: Pride Stables provides therapeutic riding programs, including camps for individuals with disabilities.

DESCRIPTION: Jen, the manager of Pride Stables, has brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt. Videos show Jen and Zoey caring for the horses together.

JEN: Zoey is great, she's a little ball of energy, comes in super excited to see her pony. So in today's lesson, Zoey is going to be riding Teddy. Teddy is a good match for Zoey to ride because of his calm demeanor, and Zoey thinks he's so cute. I'm Jen,and I'm the program manager at Pride Stables.

DESCRIPTION: Jen and Liana help Zoey onto a brown miniature horse that she rides around a pen.

JEN: Are you ready? Okay, what do we tell Teddy now?

ZOEY: Walk on.

JEN: Walk on. So there's lots of benefits of therapeutic riding for kids and adults with disabilities, like Zoey. The movement of the horse mimics the human walking motion, so it gives us lots of movement that we can't replicate elsewhere.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey, Teddy, and Jen walk around the barn. Zoey waves at a nearby barn cat.

ZOEY: Hi, kitty.

[Cat meows]

[Horse snorts]

DESCRIPTION: As Zoey rides on Teddy, she mimics Jen’s instructed movements by putting her arms in the air.

JEN: Some of the stretching that we do during our warmup on the horse is partially to help the riders feel more comfortable, so they're letting go, and reaching, and stretching, getting their muscles warmed up, loosened up, and then working on their balance. Are you ready to play a game, Zoey? Yeah? We're gonna pick up rings down from the blue barrel and then put them on the bull's head.

MIKE: I didn't really think Zoey would ever wanna horseback ride because the size difference, but she gets up there, and she is sturdy. She loves riding, and it's one of her favorite things to do.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey and Teddy walk through an obstacle course.

JEN: Whoa, big stretch. Good job!

JEN: I think her favorite part of riding has to be the trotting, which it is for most kids. Can you say, "Trot on, Teddy"?

ZOEY: You trot on.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey and Teddy trot quickly across the pen. Jen jogs beside them.

MIKE: She loves to trot, she loves going quick, she loves the bouncing up and down and just going as fast as she can go, so it's a lot of fun.

NARRATOR: Way to go, Zoey! Bye, Teddy, see you next time.

DESCRIPTION: Zoey opens her front door to greet her friend and her friend’s mother.

FRIEND’S MOTHER: Hi.

ZOEY: Hi, it's my birthday.

DESCRIPTION: The house is decorated in horse-themed birthday decor and balloons. Zoey hugs her cat.

NARRATOR: Today is gonna be extra special

[Liana laughs]

NARRATOR: because it's Zoey's sixth birthday.

ZOEY: I like my birthday.

NARRATOR: What better way to celebrate than with a Pink Pony party? Giddy up.

[Horse whinnying]

DESCRIPTION: Videos show Zoey with her friends, face-painting, a photo booth, and Andy walking around.

MIKE: Hi. This birthday party's special because she gets to have a lot of her friends come from school, her family's gonna be around, her cousins are coming. I think what makes this birthday so special is that Andy's a part of it.

NARRATOR: And while Andy may be the icing on the cake, there's pink cowgirl hats, face-painting, and lots of games for everyone to enjoy. It's party time.

DESCRIPTION: Seth, a young boy with blond hair, plays cornhole in the backyard with Zoey. Wyatt, another young boy with brown hair, joins him.

SETH: I'm Seth, and I'm a cousin of Zoey's.

WYATT: I'm Wyatt, and I'm also the cousin of Zoey's. What's funny about Zoey is that she'll eat broccoli over ice cream.

SETH: The reason I think Zoey needs a good birthday party is because she has some difficulties, and this is really good for her, and having a lot of friends, and spending time with other people. Yay.

[Children laughing]

TAMMIE: You see the size of Zoey and how hard she works to catch up to everybody or be with everybody. Nobody's told Zoey she's small, she doesn't believe it.

CHILDREN SINGING: Happy birthday to you

LIANA: Have a seat, Judy.

[Guest cheering]

[Children cheering]

DESCRIPTION: Zoey sits on her bed with Andy.

ZOEY: [Voice in communication device] Snuggling with Andy makes me so happy.

MIKE: In the future, we hope that Zoey one day will be able to be a little bit more independent with Andy and just be okay, 'cause we know that Andy's there to help her and they can do those things together.

DANI: When the magic comes together, it's beautiful to see, and people go on to thrive, and little Zoey is certainly thriving with Andy.

DESCRIPTION: Goats and llamas roam barns and green fields.

[Sign reads] “Dancing Goat Therapy Farm”.

NARRATOR: Nestled on green pastures just outside of Fredericton, New Brunswick, there's a farm that offers some pretty cool forms of therapy. Their four-legged therapists include llamas and a few furry specialists who only say,

[Goat bleats]

NARRATOR: Dancing Goat Therapy Farm is a place where nature, animals, and a little bit of yoga help hearts feel better.

DESCRIPTION: Children do yoga poses in a barn. Arthi, a psychotherapist, sits in the barn. She has brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt.

ARTHI: My name is Arthi, and I'm a registered psychotherapist, and I work with kids and adults with nature and animal-assisted therapy. Goat yoga is something that we offer here at Dancing Goat Therapy Farm.

NARRATOR: Yep, goat yoga is just what it sounds like,

[Goat bleating]

NARRATOR: yoga with goats, and a few llamas taking notes from the sidelines.

DESCRIPTION: Children sit on yoga mats in a barn. Goats walk around them.

ARTHI: Hi, everyone. How's everybody doing today? Good. Ready to begin the goat yoga session today?

CHILDREN: Yes.

ARTHI: Stretch down like a cat would. Stretch as far as you can go. Come up to a downward dog. Take a nice deep breath. It helps you to gain a lot of trust, which really is important for children.

NARRATOR: It's a chance to breathe, feel grounded, and hold a pose like a pro. No matter how they do it, everyone gets a moment to pause, slow down, and have fun.

ARTHI: It is a stress relief, releasing all the happy hormones, and the kids are having fun. They're letting go of their stress. The goats just add the playful element to the practice itself. Go flat on your belly, or on your back, if you want to, and take nice, deep breaths.

NARRATOR: While it's not exactly ordinary yoga, you might just say this yoga's the goat.

[Goat bleating]

ARTHI: Working with the outdoors and with animals is a great addition to the non-traditional psychotherapy, because this is their natural way of communicating. You're using your hands, you're moving. Anybody, including adults, who wanna try a non-traditional approach to psychotherapy, animal therapy and outdoor therapy is beneficial.

NARRATOR: It might not be the most peaceful yoga class in the world, but at Dancing Goat Therapy Farm, feeling better sometimes means doing your best to stretch while a goat the size of you wanders through your pose.

DESCRIPTION: A young boy, Anthony, with brown hair and wearing a white shirt, bounces around his living room on a blue bouncing ball.

NARRATOR: Meet Anthony. He's six years old, full of imagination, and loves to laugh and have fun.

[Anthony laughs]

DESCRIPTION: Anthony walks up the stairs to give a tour of the room. A golden doodle dog is in the room.

ANTHONY: I'm going to show you my bedroom. I have cool books. I really like reading. This is my astronaut pillow, and I have cool toys, too.

CHARLENE: I'm Charlene, I'm Anthony's mom.

DAVID: I'm David, I'm Anthony's dad.

NARRATOR: Anthony lives with Mia and his family in Ancaster, Ontario.

CHARLENE: Anthony is a very lovable boy. He has lots of energy.

ANTHONY: Mia. Mia is my dog. He is my very best friend.

DAVID: Mia is a golden, curly, little fluff ball, very soft, like a teddy bear.

CHARLENE: She has very long eyelashes, she's very sweet to look at,

DAVID: And she has the biggest, fluffiest paws, as well.

DESCRIPTION: Anthony and Mia pass a balloon back and forth.

NARRATOR: Like most kids, Anthony loves to play, and hitting a balloon around with Mia is one of their favorite activities.

CHARLENE: He's a very busy boy, and Mia likes being busy with him, so whether it's running back and forth, whether it's chasing a ball, they really like moving together.

ANTHONY: This is so funny!

NARRATOR: She's not just a fluffy golden doodle with a wagging tail, she's Anthony's service dog and his everyday hero. While Anthony and Mia have a full and happy life together, Anthony lives with several complex medical conditions. He was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome.

CHARLENE: Dravet syndrome is a seizure disorder, which means he'll have seizures for the rest of his life, so Anthony has to wear a helmet because he has very unpredictable seizures, which he drops and hits his head sometimes, so it keeps him safe.

DESCRIPTION: Anthony is playing around his house, wearing a blue helmet.

CHARLENE: He also has ADHD, as well, so attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is also on the spectrum, autism spectrum disorder, and he also has low immunity, so his immune system doesn't quite work as efficiently as someone else his age. We do have to live a little bit more of a certain type of life that isn't quite like another child who's six as well.

NARRATOR: Life was unpredictable. That is, until Mia arrived. Mia is a trained seizure response dog.

ANTHONY: Whoa! Now he got another balloon!

CHARLENE: So in order to find Mia, we had to do some research on what dog would be best suited for potentially detecting seizures and service dog work. I never was one for dogs, very uncertain of how she was gonna fit in, and when she came up and looked me in the eyes, and put her paw on me, I knew

[Charlene chuckles]

CHARLENE: I knew that I was going to have a place for her in my heart that I didn't know was possible

[Charlene chuckles and tears up]

ANTHONY: I think Mia looks sweeter than everybody in the whole, entire world.

DESCRIPTION: Quentin, a service dog trainer, instructs Mia. He has brown hair and is wearing a white shirt.

QUENTIN: Take your place. Lie down. Come. I'm Quentin de Jager. I specialize in service dog training.

NARRATOR: Quentin was responsible for training Mia, and still visits the family on a regular basis to keep up Mia's training as she and Anthony continue to grow.

DESCRIPTION: Mia and Anthony play together.

QUENTIN: Sit! Yes! Mia is trained to integrate well into his schedule and into his day-to-day routine, to make it seamless. While he's playing with his toys, like the train set, we keep her as part of the game to keep Mia engaged with him, smelling him, building that positive relationship, and that bonding part is one of the most important pieces of the training.

CHARLENE: Okay, what do we do? You have to show me your toesies.

DESCRIPTION: Anthony lies in bed as Charlene attaches a medical device to his foot.

NARRATOR: Every night, before Anthony goes to bed, they have to attach a monitor called a pulse oximeter to his big toe that will let his parents know how his body is doing while he's sleeping.

QUENTIN: There's two very important parts to Mia's training. One is the seizure alert, it's to indicate and tell the family before a seizure happens, and then there's also seizure response, so this response is while the seizure's happening, and after, what is the dog doing, what is the dog's job.

NARRATOR: Whether she's lying beside him during a seizure or nudging him back to focus when he's feeling overwhelmed, Mia is more than just a dog, she's part of the family.

ANTHONY: Shake a paw, Mia.

DAVID: You also like to make her do what?

ANTHONY: Speak. Mia, speak.

[Mia barks softly]

NARRATOR: Anthony's dad is Mia's official handler. He holds the leash, gives her commands, and ensures Mia's always ready to help. She responds to his voice, but her heart belongs to Anthony.

DESCRIPTION: Videos show David walking Mia. Mia and Anthony lie in bed together.

ANTHONY: He's eating my hands

[Anthony laughs]

CHARLENE: So Anthony's transformed on a personal level, where, in a way, when it involves responsibility, regulation, things that are really, really tough for kids with ADHD and autism.

DESCRIPTION: Charlene and Anthony feed Mia together.

CHARLENE: There you go, Mia. He's learning skills like feeding Mia, he's learning things like the routine that's involved with taking care of another life. Go grab your water, you're tall enough to reach now. And the regulation of learning to be gentle, learning to love outside of just your own parents, so it's really building life skills for him along the way, as well.

DESCRIPTION: David, Charlene, Mia, and Anthony walk into a colourful gymnastics gym. It is filled with foam mats, bars, and springboards. The family all wears masks.

NARRATOR: With Mia, by his side, Anthony has the confidence to try new things. Gymnastics has quickly become his favorite activity. When Anthony is around crowds or in busy public spaces, a mask is worn as a health measure.

DESCRIPTION: Victoria, a gymnastics instructor, has blonde hair and is wearing a black shirt. She walks through courses with Anthony.

VICTORIA: My name's Victoria, and I'm an instructor at the Hamilton Gymnastic Academy. We have a very big gym here, lots of colors, lots of different equipment for all different needs.

NARRATOR: Mia watches from the sidelines as Anthony runs, tumbles, and beams with pride.

VICTORIA: Good job.

NARRATOR: At this gym, Anthony is just like any other kid.

ANTHONY: I wanna show you something cool.

DESCRIPTION: Anthony jumps on a bouncing ball on a trampoline. Various videos show Anthony using the gymnastics equipment.

VICTORIA: Okay, how high can you jump with your ball? Okay, ready, steady, go! Very good! I've been working with Anthony for approximately two years, on and off. I've noticed a big difference since Anthony's got Mia, for sure. He's definitely doing a lot more activities that he wasn't able to do independently on his own before that he is now more confident in doing while having Mia by his side. Are you running as fast as a cheetah? Wow!

ANTHONY: I really like gymnastics. My obstacle course.

DESCRIPTION: Anthony swings through a colourful obstacle course.

VICTORIA: Your obstacle course, you've got it. Let's see, big swing. Wow, Anthony!

CHARLENE: Gymnastics is an outlet for Anthony. It's a place where he can be free it's a place where he can have space outside of the home, and be safe, and really express himself in a unique way.

VICTORIA: I love seeing the confidence in him, but also just the joy. That's the biggest thing that gymnastics can provide any kid is just having joy and fun in his life, and I'm so glad that this is the place that can provide that for him.

ANTHONY: I'm the king of the castle. Everybody's the dirty rascal.

DESCRIPTION: At a trampoline park, a table is set up with birthday decorations and a cupcake cake in the shape of the number ‘6’. Videos show Anthony on the trampolines with other children.

NARRATOR: This year, Anthony's reached a big milestone. For the first time ever, he's having a birthday party, surrounded by friends and family.

CHARLENE: So Anthony's turning six. It's his actual first birthday party where we're going to celebrate with other people. From an immune system standpoint, we had to be very careful, and so at this point, we've just never celebrated his birthday with people in the traditional way. He's very, very excited.

NARRATOR: And it's going to be epic! Anthony's party is booked at the Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park.

DESCRIPTION: A young girl, Piper, has light brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt. She plays on the trampolines with Anthony.

PIPER: My name is Piper, and Anthony is my friend.

NARRATOR: With Mia close by, Anthony can celebrate his birthday like any six-year-old, with friends and family, and lots of fun. He just loves being with children his age. He loves it, and he's old enough now where we know this is going to last for him. He'll remember this one forever.

CHILDREN: Happy birthday, Anthony!

[Children cheering]

DESCRIPTION: Anthony plays on the trampolines with his friends.

CHARLENE: Even among the unpredictability, the amount of joy and hope that you experience is just unreal, and anyone who meets Anthony feels it. They feel the light that he brings to the room. He's very unique.

[Charlene chuckles and tears up]

CHARLENE: He's very special. It's your birthday party. I feel very proud to see him want to grow and learn on his own, without the guidance of a parent. It just shows how he's coming into his own now.

DESCRIPTION: In a montage, Anthony feeds Mia, lies with her in bed, and plays in the gymnastics gym.

NARRATOR: And for this brave little boy with a warrior's heart and his devoted service dog nearby, the future is looking bright. And I also love Mia.

VICTORIA: I think Anthony's superpower is just spreading joy and kindness to everybody around him. He's one of those kids that is very intelligent, but he knows that when he comes in, that he offers just that safe and warm feeling to everybody. Big hug. Good job.

QUENTIN: As a trainer, seeing Mia be successful is so rewarding. People always ask me, how do I let dogs go at the end after bonding so long with them?

ANTHONY: Shake a paw, Mia.

QUENTIN: But as you guys can see, the success story, it is so rewarding seeing to what families they go to and the difference they make, not just in the child's life, but also the parents, and giving everybody a companion and independence that they so badly need.

ANTHONY: Nothing but trouble!

[End Credits] “Directed by Melissa Peters. Featuring: Zoey & Andy; Anthony & Mia. Narrator: Craig Smith. Line Producer Carole Aeschelmann. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Director of Photography: Billy McCormick. Produced with the Assistance of The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Made possible with the support of Ontario Creates. Produced with the participation of TVO Kids. Worldwide Distribution by TVF. Purple Panda Productions, Inc.”