Kipper, shih tzu

Disabled Boy Reunited With Service Dog
By Gitzel Puente
May 7, 2013

CATHEDRAL CITY - Nine-year-old Dominic Cumo is reunited with his service dog, Kipper, after it went missing for more than 17 hours overnight. Dominic and his parents spent the entire morning searching for Kipper in a Cathedral City neighborhood.

Dominic Cumo and Kipper, pose with members of the Riverside County Animal Services team

KMIR 6 printed hundreds of fliers with the Shih Tzu's photo to help in the search, and Dominic's parents distributed them around the neighborhood. They knocked on many doors, went down every street and asked for anyone's help.

Dominic's father Matthew Bateman says the dog never leaves the nine-year-old's side, so it was strange last night when it suddenly went missing. The family was talking with some neighbors and children in front of an apartment unit they rent, when the dog disappeared after a few minutes.

"The dog tells us if Dominic is not breathing, so it's hard to come by a dog like that," expressed Bateman, "He's very important to Dominic." He adds that Kipper helps keep Dominic alive.

Dominic has Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that weakens the muscles and spinal cord. People diagnosed with this disorder lose the ability to move their limbs and the muscles needed to move, eat, speak and breathe. Dominic is the only child in the world diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.

When the dog went missing, Dominic was devastated because his service dog helps him every day.

"I've never had a dog. He's my only one," said Dominic of his trained dog, Kipper.

KMIR 6 called the Riverside County Animal Services and suggested they join in the search. They responded with a team of six volunteers in three vans to help. They drove around the neighbhorhood and distributed fliers as well, and in less than two hours, they came back to the family with a surprise.

"This is amazing, this is amazing," said Dominic with tears in his eyes.

The animals services team found Kipper just a few blocks away outside a Stater Brothers, where one of the volunteers, Amir Rheys. recognized the dog. Rheys said a man on a bicycle was trying to sell Kipper, but they stopped him just in time. Rheys said he was thrilled to have reunited Dominic with Kipper.

"Thank you...thank you so much," said Dominic with a huge smile on his face.

Source: http://www.kmir6.com/news/toprotator/206523531.html

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