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Clyde’s Feed, NutriSource team up to provide free dog food for service dog of young adult with autism

April is Autism Awareness Month and a local business owner and pet food company are teaming up to help a young adult with autism by providing dog food free of charge to his service dog.

Michael Omilian’s son Luke is a 21-year-old young adult who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. It has always been important for his parents to keep him safe but as he grew older it became harder to manage.
 
 
After doing research they learned about Autism Anchoring Dogs, an organization that provides autism service dogs that help to keep individuals with autism safe and calm.
 
 
They provide a special harness connecting the individual to the service dog, and the service dog to the adult handler.
If the individual runs or starts to wander off, the dog braces itself and voluntarily goes down, preventing the individual from going further than the end of the equipment tether.
 
 
Using the dog to anchor the individual promotes safety in nearly any environment; walking outside near traffic, grocery stores, amusement parks, etc.
The Newfoundland is the chosen dog breed for anchoring simply because of their very large size and sweet disposition.
 
 
David Lepsch of Ceska K9 Training & Services is training Luke’s dog and Clyde’s Feed and NutriSource Pet Foods are providing the food free of charge and they are providing the special vest for Belleau to wear which will let the public know that she is a working service dog and not to be disrupted.
 
 
This is Luke’s second anchoring dog. His first anchoring dog turned 8 years old and it was time to retire the pup and get Luke another service dog.
 
 
Not only does an anchoring dog keep Luke safe, they are also loyal companions and friends. ❤️
 
 

Watch Clyde’s Feed & Animal Center owner Jim Millspaugh, David Lepsch of Ceska K9 Services, Michael Omilian (Luke’s dad) and Belleau the service dog on our Sweet Buffalo segment on News 4 Buffalo!

Thank you to our friends at Basil Toyota & Basil Volkswagen for helping us in our mission to share stories that make a difference. 

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