New Zealand
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'Dogs are non-judgemental' – canine reading pals provide much needed confidence to disabled kids

October 6, 2017

A NZ charity called DOG-abled has united seven-year-old Cole, who has cerebral palsy, with his beloved black lab reading companion Django. (Source: Other)

A young Kiwi kid with cerebral palsy has been given a four-legged friend to help him with his struggles to read.

Cole Subritsky Shandley's best mate is a black Labrador called Django.

The seven-year-old's reading has jumped ahead since he started reading out loud to his furry friend - something he struggles with due to his condition.

Django was paired with Cole through a charity called DOG-abled, just before the friendly pooch was due to be put down.

"He was deemed a naughty dog because he kept breaking his chain and we rescued him, he had a major aversion to men," DOG-abled's Heather Summers says.

"It was a male that abused him. So we had to do a lot of work to desensitize him around men."

Cole has helped Django reconnect with human males in a healthy way, the two forming a mutually beneficial bond that is sure to last for many years to come.

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