Updated 10.09 am
GREAT NEWS! AFTER being missing for two days, autism assistance dog (and O’Dwyer family member) Dempsey has returned home.
The loyal canine had been missing from the Larchfield area of Cork since Monday morning after wandering out of his garden but has now been found safe and well in a farmer’s field.
His 14-year-old master, and best friend, Evan O’Dwyer has had him for two-and-a-half years and the big fluffy dog has made a massive difference to the boy’s life.
As his mother Deirdre explained to TheJournal.ie last night, Evan is on the severe end of the autism spectrum and is non-verbal.
“Evan doesn’t socialise, he’s non-verbal, and his best buddy is Dempsey. He’s my best buddy as well – I miss him like mad,” the woman said, clearly emotional. “To most people he’s probably just a dog but he’s part of the family because he comes everywhere with us.
“Before we got Dempsey, Evan would have to be in a wheelchair because he’d bolt but with Dempsey we could go out walking. ”
Not only is Dempsey Evan’s best friend in the world, he also keeps a watchful eye over him and is very in tune with the boy’s moods.
He watches Evan, he’s very protective of him and we know when he’s with him he won’t come to any harm. He’ll sit by him and say if we have the stove on, he won’t let Evan venture near it. He’s a fantastic working dog, he can actually tell us things. He’ll circle and let us know when Evan is going into a meltdown so we can get in there and stop it – this is all now gone from us. And if Evan is stressed, he’ll rub Dempsey’s ear; he’s very calming.
Thankfully, after a couple of teary nights, Dempsey is now back with his family. Even if he is a little “tired and dirty”
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