Young Rui Marques had barely sat down next to the his Farrusco, he began to pet her and smile. So he always remained, calm and relaxed, close to his four-legged friend, who also took him in his arms. Since this Tuesday, June 12th, that the Rui, a 17-year-old autistic boy who lives in Porches (Lagoa), already has an assistance dog so that his life will improve.
The day was one of joy, at the Marques family home. The little Farrusco, a 3 month old Portuguese water dog, was handed over by Rui Elvas, president of the Portuguese Association of Assistance Dogs.
Now, for about three months, the goal is to create bonds between young Rui and Farrusco, but there are also lessons to be learned already and that have been transmitted to the family: the dog should neither jump, nor bark, nor bite.
“The intention is that, during this time, the two of them create a bond, be friends and, deep down, that bonds emerge. The dog will meet Rui when he is well and when he is less well», explained the president of that association.
From what has been seen, it will not be difficult for this relationship of complicity to arise. The connection between the dog and Rui was almost immediate. The mother Elsa Marques even commented: «the first contact is very positive. He's sitting there, calm, and you can see he's enjoying it. Rui is more relaxed».
In order for the family to receive this help, there was a 5 euros fundraising campaign, such as the Sul Informação he said, that he ran "faster than expected". The parents of little Salvador, a boy from Odiáxere (Lagos), who suffered from a level IV intramedullary glioblastoma (spinal cord tumor), who eventually died, made an important contribution after reading the case in our newspaper, which they joined many others from private individuals.
Elsa Marques did not hide her satisfaction at having one more element in the family. “It's a very happy day. The dog will be a companion for him, because an autistic kid always has a hard time making friends. At night, Rui is complicated. Sometimes it's 4 or 5 in the morning and you're still not sleeping. He has crises and ends up being aggressive. A dog will help you to overcome certain things», he said.
Basically, Farrusco will be a connection between Rui and the world, so that the life of this young man from Lagoa can improve. “All children with autism have great difficulty connecting with the world around them and dealing with environments that are not comfortable for them. When a kid like that is in an environment like a mall, it's not at all pleasant. The dog's function is to defocus him from that environment and create a bridge between him and the world around him», explained the president of the Portuguese Association of Assistance Dogs.
After these three months to create bonds between Rui and Farrusco, there follows a second phase of training, related to the obedience part and more related to behavior. In the end, the training takes place in a public space, with everything being accompanied by coach Rui Elvas. The entire process takes about a year and a half.
During all this time, it is expected that the life of young Rui, who loves to paint and is even attending classes at the Mestre Fernando Rodrigues School of Arts, in Lagoa, will gain new impetus. The presence of Farrusco will help to break down barriers and anticipate behavioral changes when Rui is in a state of greater stress.
“It will be a great help”, concluded Elsa Marques, the mother.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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