Carson Animal Shelter in Los Angeles is home to many orphaned animals that have nowhere to go and no person to care for them. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, Jacob a 6-year-old boy with autism comes to the shelter to entertain one dog in particular every single week, making both their lives a little bit better.
Pirate the Pit Bull, is one of the dogs Jacob reads to. “He likes it…that makes dogs friendly,” Jacob said.
Jacob’s parents learned he had autism around the age of two. He lost all verbal skills and reading was the only thing he wanted to do. He was different.
“He didn’t want to play with other children,” said Katherine Tumalan, Jacob’s mother.
One day his aunt, Lisa Ferranti, brought him to an animal shelter and everything changed.
“He walks through and he’s not yelling or banging on the cages. He comes with a book and his mat and sets it up, and the dogs just listen. Jacob is so calming,” Ferranti said.
Jacob’s aunt, an animal rescue worker, believes Jacob and Pirate’s friendship are helping them both grow.
“I think it helps socialize the dogs with children, and at the same time helped Jake socialize with animals more,” Ferranti said.
Jacob believes the work he’s doing with the dogs will lead to their adoption and serve a greater cause.
“They have to find new homes because they are alone. If I read to the dogs they will come out of their cages and find homes,” Jacob said.
Jacob may not be great with people but he certainly understands the dogs.
[Source material here.]
