The Milk-Bone Company, in partnership with other businesses, helps children and adults with cerebral palsy acquire specially trained dogs to assist them with many of the everyday activities those without cerebral palsy take for granted.

James “Kelly” Russell, from Trussville, Alabama, is one such individual. Kelly, 23 years old, was born with cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair and has great difficulty with many ordinary tasks like picking things up or turning lights on and off. But with his recently acquired friend, Reba, a black Retriever who was trained for two years to be a canine assistant dog, many of those tasks can now be accomplished with her help.

“She has endeared herself greatly into our family,” says Paula Blevins Russell, Kelly’s mother.

Kelly and Reba were paired together with the help of the Canine Assistants Program, which offers free service dogs to Americans with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. The training the dogs receive teaches them to be alert to the special needs of their owners, and signal to caregivers any special medical needs their owners may develop.

A potential dog-owner meets with several different dogs before deciding which one is the best match. In Kelly’s case, he took an immediate liking to Reba.

“Reba shot across the room, jumped up into Kelly’s lap and started kissing him,” remembers Kelly’s mom.  ”And then, of course, Kelly began responding to her. That was all she wrote.  Reba picked Kelly…he didn’t pick her.”

Over the last 14 years the Canine Assistants Program has distributed over 1,000 dogs. According to the Russell family, if they had tried to purchase a dog with Reba’s skills on their own, it would have cost them no less than $15,000.

Reba’s expertise lies in her ability to sense Kelly’s urgent medical needs, such as seizures, which are caused by his cerebral palsy, or breathing issues, which are caused by Kelly’s cystic fibrosis.