A boy and his dog: The story of Owen and Haatchi

From the UK comes a heartwarming story about a boy and his dog. It began in January 2012 when officials from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered an Anatolian Shepherd dog wounded and alone in North London. They determined the dog, now known as Haatchi, had been deliberately tied to railway tracks and left to die by its cruel owner.

The train’s impact had nearly severed the dog’s tail and critically damaged one leg. Five days passed before the dog was discovered and infection had already set in. Haatchi was given emergency surgery to amputate what remained of his leg and tail, and then placed in a foster home.

While recuperating in the foster home, Haatchi was attacked by another dog and a decision was made that he would be put to sleep. Fortunately, one of the staff members called the UK German Shepherd Rescue organization which has a “no kill” policy, thus helping Haatchi avoid a second brush with death. The organization agreed to help immediately and lined up a foster home with Ross McCarthy and James Hearle from a company called Dogs and Kisses.

According to his Facebook bio, Haatchi “limped over to them and without any fuss or fear got into their vehicle and went to their big doggy home” where he “sleepily greeted the numerous dogs, flopped down and drifted off to sleep.”

McCarthy and Hearle put the word out to all of their dog-loving friends to consider adopting Haatchi. That’s when Colleen Drummond visited and decided to bring Haatchi to his forever home with the Howkins-Drummond family on February 18 – just six weeks after his life-saving operation.

The following morning, Haatchi met seven-year-old Owen “Little B” Howkins, and the two bonded immediately. Owen suffers from a rare genetic condition called Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which causes stiffness and weakness in the muscles. Originally self-conscious about his condition, Owen avoided going outside.

However, Haatchi’s presence changed all of that. Suddenly, Owen was proud to introduce his dog to strangers, go on walks with him, and play together.

“As soon as they met, the effect Haatchi had on Owen was incredible,” Colleen Drummond told the Daily Mail. “Before his arrival, Owen didn’t like going out. When he first started school, he became more aware of being different, and he became even more withdrawn.”

Although he requires regular hospital treatment, the young boy now feels differently about his condition after seeing Haatchi take his ‘medicine’ – a mix of honey, salmon oil and supplements.

“Owen used to be scared of strangers but he now wants to talk to everyone about Haatchi and wants to go out all the time to dog shows,” said Colleen. “The difference we see in him can’t be put into words.”

This month, Haatchi was awarded “Animal of the Year” by the International Fund for Animal Welfare at a ceremony at the House of Lords in the UK. Now a 15-month-old fully qualified therapy dog, Haatchi’s therapeutic reach extends to soldiers and amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan who enjoy meeting this very brave canine, and of course, to one very lucky and brave little boy, Owen Howkins.