For Canfield boy, man's best friend, indeed

CANFIELD — It takes a lot to make Jesse Madison smile.

Jesse, 14, has isodicentric 15, a physical abnormality at the chromosomal level that inhibits motor skills and mental development. While he is a happy teenager, simple tasks such as smiling become arduous. But when Jesse met his companion dog, Waylon, his face lighted up with a big grin.

“The biggest thing that I’ve noticed with Jesse is a different level of confidence,” said Adelle Madison, his mother. “He is holding his head up higher and making more eye contact with people in the community. He seems to have a boost in self esteem.”

The Madisons got Waylon, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever mix, last month from the Canine Companions for Independence organization, a nonprofit that has paired assistance dogs with disabled people since 1975.

“What we do is breed our own dogs, train them and place them with people with disabilities,” said Kelly Galindo, the group’s development associate. “We try to match dogs with specific needs. Some of the dogs are better at things than others, so we try to place a dog to a specific person.”

Madison said the process for obtaining a dog was easier than she’d imagined.

For the full story, read Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.