After 52 days and three failed attempts, Labrador arrived in Portugal to meet the 12 -year -old tutor; According to family members, animal is essential in the routine of the autistic girl
Teddy support dog, which helps Alice, a 12 -year -old, after being 52 days away from her family and after three failed departure attempts. The repercussion of the case caused a negotiation between the Ministry of Ports and Airports, the girl’s father and TAP airline to occur. Only then could the animal follow the trip accompanied by coach Ricardo Cazarotte, on a flight of the Portuguese airline itself, alongside Alice’s sister, Hayanne Porto.
Glauco Lima, professional coach and reference in assistance and medical warning dogs in South America, points out that the difference between Teddy and an emotional support dog is in the type of training, the functions they perform and the legal rights they have. “To deny the shipment is to deny humanity. It is inadmissible that there is still this type of backward exercise in Brazil. It is necessary to comply with judicial decisions, especially in cases involving health and inclusion. Training of airlines on the role of dogs of service and the rights of people with disabilities is emergency agenda,” he says.
According to family reports in various interviews, the dog is essential in Alice’s routine, as it can, through Faro, detect anxiety seizures before they happen and intercede, reducing agitation and avoiding discomfort. For psychoanalyst Cintia Castro, author of several books about the spectrum, the lack of a service dog can have a profound impact on the life of an autistic child. “Without the presence of the dog, the child may feel a significant increase in anxiety. For many autistic children, the service dog is a safe port that provides a sense of security and tranquility.”
According to her sister, the girl would have spent several days looking for the dog in the new house, which meets the expert’s information. “When this friend is no longer present, a feeling of vulnerability, sadness, loneliness, behavioral changes, aggressiveness and socialization can become even more difficult, triggering crises or episodes of stress, as the child no longer has the same source of support.”
For Glauco, who travels the world training dogs for health, cases like this serve as a warning about the role of legislation, society and politics in the face of this picture. “We need lighter laws and more rigorous supervision to protect those depends on these animals, expanding information through medicine and politics, creating competent health agencies in order to certify tutors and their dogs, as developed in the United States and Israel, where the person undergoes evidence and assessments to receive a qualification. In addition, it is necessary to have empathy in service: situations like this bureaucracy,” he concludes.
