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Heartwarming moment shows the bond between a boy and his service dog

Mahe and his service dog James share a special bond.
 By 
Brian Koerber
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Although 9-year-old James Isaac from Wellington, New Zealand has trouble speaking and communicating with his family, he holds a strong bond with his buddy Mahe. 

Mahe, a service dog trained by The Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust helps James, who is autistic, stay calm, in addition to providing protection for the boy.

Recently, during a hospital visit, Mahe was spotted comforting James while preparing for an MRI scan. 


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According to the New Zealand-based website Stuff, James was at Wellington Children's Hospital to diagnose the cause of his recent seizures. 

In order to undergo the MRI scan, James had to be placed under general anesthesia, which is when hospital photographer Louise Goossens snapped the photos of Mahe comforting the boy.  

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

'He was just looking at James, and looking really worried.'

"He was just looking at James, and looking really worried," James' mother, Michelle Isaac told Stuff

When the MRI scan was underway, the two had to be separated, but Mahe did his best to calm Michelle during the procedure. 

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable


Michelle told Stuff that before James and Mahe were paired, life was much more difficult. 

"We couldn't even go to a cafe as a family. James would get very anxious and want to leave immediately. But when we got Mahe, James would just sit there waiting for us to finish our coffee," Michelle said.

In addition to calming James, the two are also paired together, so James can't run off. If he does get far away, Mahe sits down and refuses to move. 

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable


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Topics Animals

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Brian Koerber

Brian was the Culture Editor and has been working at Mashable on the web culture desk since 2014.

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