Lenoir service dog 'emotionally scarred' following attack by other dogs

LENOIR, NC — Wolf was the answer to 10-year-old Sammy Rutledge's prayers.

Sammy has autism and suffers from seizures and Wolf was specially trained to detect the start of a seizure.

"I need a buddy to take care of me when I have seizures," Sammy explained.

But now, his mother is afraid Wolf may have lost some of his abilities after an attack Monday.

"I heard a loud yelp," recalled Chrystal Coffey.

She said she saw two or three dogs attack Wolf on the driveway next to their home on Buccaneer Way. He was patched up at the animal hospital, but he is not the same.

Coffey said Wolf has been timid and seems emotionally scarred. Wolf has missed a few of Sammy's mild seizures and she worries he may miss a big one.

"Sammy could have a bad seizure one day and not wake up," she explained.

She's concerned Wolf's training could be lost. A car accident years ago left her with disabilities, on a fixed income, and unable to afford another dog to serve as a guardian angel for her son. Three years ago, people in the community helped raise money to help buy Wolf.

"Sammy won't have a companion or a buddy to take care of him," said Coffey.

She said she was told it would cost $13,000 to $30,000 to get another dog to do what Wolf does. She hopes Wolf will eventually return to his training because some of Sammy's seizures happen while he is asleep when she can't detect them.

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