Sometimes you just click with a story that touches a special part of you that you can’t understand, but feel compelled to share it,such is the case with Zachary.

This is a follow up of a story we did a year ago about a special boy that was adopted by a special family, which now includes a dog.

Love’s Long Journey
Boy’s best friend provides needed comfort
By Mandy Bourgeois | Published Sunday, January 24, 2010

A boy lies restless in a bed at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, his mind racing with worry about his surgery later in the day. His body is exhausted, but sleep will not come.

While no stranger to medical procedures, reassurances from his mother and doctors bring him no comfort.

Until Yuki arrives.
Yuki, a snow-white Chinook, has just entered the family’s lives and hasn’t had time to bond with the boy. But one look at the scared child in the bed, and Yuki realizes he has a job to do. He sits, looks at the parents for permission, then jumps on the bed. He maneuvers delicately around tubes and IVs, settling next to the boy.

The boy and his dog sleep.
A calming force

For 11-year-old Zachary Kao of Rhome, Yuki is a pet. He and his brother Malachi, 5, play with Yuki, give him treats and cuddle with him in the living room.

But Yuki is more than a dog to Zachary’s parents, Simon and Jeri Kay – he’s Zachary’s guardian angel.

Zachary is deaf and also has Esophageal Dysphasia, a condition that makes swallowing difficult. He visits his doctors often and has frequent surgery. He receives 90 percent of his nutrition through his G-button, up from 60 percent this time last year.

Before Yuki joined the family, Zachary was anxious during his visits to the doctor.

“Zachary can get real anxious and real hyper. It’s like he’s in fast motion. His anxiety is usually about something hurting,” Jeri Kay said. “He doesn’t worry about pain when Yuki is there. When Yuki comes around, it’s like he just slows down. Yuki helps him get in regular mode.”

The staff at Cook Children’s Hospital have noticed a difference in Zachary’s behavior.

“Yuki calms him in a way nothing else will,” Jeri Kay said. “Doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists have seen him pre-dog and now, and they say he’s a different kid. He’s made our hospital visits better.”

At home, he’s content to lie on the floor in front of the Kao’s fireplace and let Zachary and Malachi scratch behind his ears, or lie on his stomach.

While posing as a dog, he is a worker and protector at heart. As soon as his service gear is wrapped around his body, he becomes Zachary’s eyes and ears.

“He becomes a different dog when you put his service clothes on,” Jeri Kay said. “He’s focused on his job.”

Yuki’s job is extensive, and Zachary and Yuki are in constant training. If Yuki hears any kind of alarm, he paws Zachary and goes to the ground. He sits if he hears a car alarm.

At the sound of the alarm on Zachary’s G-button, Yuki nuzzles Zachary. If Zachary begins to choke, which happens frequently, he can sign to Yuki and Yuki barks.

Yuki also serves as an anchor when the family is trekking through busy places. Zachary is tethered to Yuki at the grocery store or any other public place, and Yuki is trained to stay at Jeri Kay or Simon’s heel. Should Zachary decide to wander in the opposite direction of his parents, Yuki sits or lies down to prevent Zachary from wandering more than a couple of feet.

Before the family brought Yuki home, Jeri Kay and Simon thought that Yuki and Zachary would instantly connect and understand each other.

“We thought it would just happen – that they would just understand each other,” Jeri Kay said. “Yuki has to learn to trust Zachary. Zachary is very rough in his affection, but he’s gotten used to him.”

Zachary has developed a habit of hitting himself in the face with his hand or other objects. While they don’t know why he does it, Jeri Kay and Simon have learned that Yuki can be used to distract Zachary from doing this. They are training Yuki to recognize the habit.

Born for the job

Yuki, now 2, has been in training since he was 6 weeks old. He was originally trained in mobility, but “he got bored with it,” Jeri Kay said.

“They noticed when he was a puppy, his ears were always perked up. He was always listening,” she said. That’s when he began training as a hearing dog.

In October, the family traveled to Ohio and spent two weeks in training. Up until four days before arriving at the training facility, the family didn’t know what kind of dog they would bring home. Finally, they received an e-mail with a picture of Yuki.

While in training, Yuki’s first task was to recognize Simon and Jeri Kay as the leaders in the household. Then, the process of bonding with Zachary began.

The bond didn’t come so easily at first. Zachary immediately loved Yuki, but his hugs and playful maneuvers were a little rough for the gentle dog. It took the trip to Cook Children’s the day of Zachary’s surgery for the two to form a close relationship.

Yuki initially didn’t make the trip to the hospital because he was new to the family, and Jeri Kay didn’t want to worry about Yuki’s behavior with so much on her mind. But after Zachary spent a restless night asking to see Yuki, she called Simon and asked him to bring Yuki to the hospital.

“Zachary asked for Yuki all night and didn’t sleep,” Jeri Kay said. “It made me cry.”

As soon as he walked through the door, Yuki sensed what Zachary needed – simple comfort. Up until that day, Yuki had not been allowed to get on furniture. But after getting approval from Simon and Jeri Kay, he jumped on the bed and snuggled with Zachary. The two immediately went to sleep, allowing Zachary much-needed rest before his surgery.

Now, Yuki goes everywhere Zachary does, except his school, McNair Elementary in Denton. Jeri Kay and Simon plan to begin training the teachers after spring break.

Dealing with resistance

In the beginning, the Kaos were met with resistance when attempting to bring Yuki into businesses. One particular doctor’s office in the Metroplex didn’t allow Yuki to accompany Zachary past the waiting room without showing certificates and proof that Yuki was a service dog.

By law, the family is not required to show any type of documentation, and Yuki is not required to wear any tags or equipment proclaiming that he is a service dog.

Yuki was also not allowed into one area business, despite Jeri Kay’s explanation that Yuki was a service dog and allowed to enter. Federal law, which trumps any local or state law, allows Yuki to go anywhere Zachary goes – stores, restaurants, doctors offices, hotels, any type of transportation vehicle and other public places.

A part of the family

“Dogs capture you – they really do,” Jeri Kay said as Yuki slept in the living room floor and Malachi and Zachary played at the kitchen table. “He’s a part of our life.”

Despite any tedious training, Yuki has taken a burden off the family’s shoulders. Simon and Jeri Kay don’t worry as much abou
t the things that Zachary will not notice, such as oncoming cars or fire alarms.

“He’s been so loving from the beginning,” Jeri Kay said.

Yuki has also brought out a different side of Zachary, giving him more confidence with the beautiful, snow-white dog at his side.

The dog has truly become a part of the family and has taken on the role as the boys’ best friend.

On a trip to Walmart, Zachary stood next to Yuki, who lay calmly in the floor as people whisked baskets around the pair. Malachi signed to Zachary, asking him if he loves Yuki.

Zachary nodded his head.