Dog Returned to Girl With Cerebral Palsy

For many people, a dog is more than just a pet, but a member of the family. But for two-year-old Evalyn Wise (a young girl with cerebral palsy)her dog is a highly trained source of therapy.

So imagine young Evalyn's disappointment when a man named Mike took the dog without permission.

"Our neighbor has lung cancer, so we went down to visit and brought Tobi to cheer her up," said Wise. "On Memorial Day, we cooked dinner with them, and Mike made an offer to buy Tobi for $500. I told him that Evalyn was very attached to Tobi and he was not for sale at any price."

Evalyn's mother said that Mike kept increasing his offer to $1,000, even though Ms. Wise continued to reject the offers. That didn't stop Mike though.

The next morning Wise had taken the young girl with cerebral palsy's dog and driven away.

"On May 31, we had to fly to New Mexico to visit family. As a service dog, airlines allow Tobi to fly in the cabin with Evalyn," Wise said. "He distracts her on the plane. We had to leave without him. He's earned a place in the family. It hurt to think he had been stolen or killed."

So what happened?

Well, as it turns out, Tobi was recovered from Mike some time later. Still, it was heart-wrenching to know that this young girl with cerebral palsy was almost made to do without her little dog.