Angel is our son's Autism Service dog!  She is the inspiration behind Safe in Austin!  

Before Angel, Jackson was filled with fear and anxiety.  His heightened senses had him constantly overwhelmed.  He was afraid of being alone, didn't like change, and had very few words.

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When we got Angel we told him she had Aspergers too.  That she understood how he felt, and what he needed, and that her entire job was to protect him and be there for him.

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Angel was trained to "lap" when Jackson would have a breakdown.  Before her, his breakdowns came form some form of over stimulation and he would hit and scratch himself until I could grab him and hold him tight while he calmed down.  Angel could push him to the ground and lay on top of him without anyone else in the room and would get the same result I did.  We immediately noticed that she would also "lap" before a break down would happen, preventing it completely.

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About six weeks after she came home with us, Jackson got frustrated in the car after a long day of errands, and started breaking down.  I couldn't' reach him because i was driving, so I watched as Angel crawled from the way back of the 4-runner and wedged herself on his car seat pinning his arms down and relaxing him almost immediately.

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That was the very last time she performed "lap".  It's also the last time Jackson has had a self injuring breakdown.  She had only been with him for six weeks, and that was five years ago.

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Their story is a miraculous, and changed us forever.  Because of their relationship, we are determined to provide the environment where rescue animals can change the lives of the children that need them most.