By Lynn Chuback

Special to Peace Arch News

Nicole Kaler walks regally through the throng as children and parents try to get to their swim instructors on time.

She’s calm and steady because she knows her children – all three – are in safe hands having fun and learning an important life skill at the South Surrey Indoor Pool.

It’s not only Nicole’s gentle aura that sets her aside; it’s that she has a dog beside her – an equally peaceful soul called PePe.

People might surmise Nicole is blind – her dog is wearing a coat stating he is some kind of “guide.”  However, PePe is really there for Maya, Nicole’s eight-year-old daughter who has autism.

One in 100 children is believed to be on the autistic spectrum, from the non-verbal to the high-functioning. Although each one is unique, many autistic children exhibit behaviors that lead to social isolation.

Nicole first suspected “something was wrong” when Maya was about 15 months. Following her intuition, she convinced her pediatrician to investigate. Autism was confirmed a year later.

An autistic child often has a basic lack of awareness of danger. Paired with an inability to communicate effectively, this can result in stressful situations. A trip to the store, for example, can raise an issue of safety with children who display a tendency to bolt in open spaces. 

As Maya grew from toddler to preschooler to schoolgirl, Nicole researched ways to support not only her daughter, but her husband and two younger children, Uma, 6, and Deven, 4.

“Life is anything but easy – and I cry way more that I would want to admit – but I love my family and my children inspire me to do my very best every day,” Nicole said in an interview.

It was this resolve that led Nicole to unearth the idea of autism dogs. 

“I was under the assumption that we would have to get a dog from Ontario, and there were long wait-lists,” she said. “With our complicated family dynamics, I could not imagine travelling so far for the training.”

Nicole put the idea on hold until a year ago, when she read in a newspaper about an agency in Delta. Immediately, she applied to BC Guide Dogs.

There was no application fee, and the family had their initial interview to determine whether they were a good fit for the non-profit program. 

Nicole admits the process was not complicated, but said it felt incredibly stressful, because she so desperately wanted a dog for Maya.

A second, more in-depth interview followed a few months later, focusing on specific needs and lifestyle.

Once the next batch of support dogs had completed their training, the family met with their trainer to pair up.

With placement, many things are looked at, including personalities of the child, parent/handler and the dog to figure out an effective mix.

“It really is an amazing process since it is not a perfect science – anything dealing with personalities never is,” Nicole said.

That meeting took place on Friday, July 3. The following Monday, Nicole found out PePe, then 18 months old, would be placed with them.

“If I had to describe PePe, I would say that she is very energetic, loves children and thrives on movement and activity. We are always on the go... I am not sure that every dog would thrive in our home environment.”

PePe is the first chocolate lab to graduate from the BC Guide Dog program, and only the sixth autism support dog in B.C.

Before PePe could be brought home, however, Nicole – as the main handler – had to undergo some training herself.

“I went away to a hotel in Tsawwassen for a week.  It was like a dog-training boot camp with three other families who all got our dogs,” she said.

“PePe stayed with me in the hotel room the whole time. We had one-on-one trainers and practised with our dogs all over the Lower Mainland in every possible real-life scenario –  grocery stores, SkyTrain, malls and downtown Vancouver.”

The following week, the trainer visited the family home to continue training with Maya present.

“We had our examination, as there is an international standard for animals to be granted public access as service animals. PePe and I passed with flying colours, and we signed our contract with Autism Support Dogs that afternoon.”

PePe is now seen out and about with the family. PePe joins Maya in walks to her Ocean Cliff Elementary classroom in the morning, and visits her throughout the day.

The school and district have been “incredibly supportive and sincerely excited for Maya,” Nicole says, noting she would eventually like Maya to attend high school with her dog.

So far, Nicole reports, PePe has brought only positive reactions.

“I think she was bred, raised and taught with the intention of service for someone with a disability,” she said.

“From birth, she has only been handled by people who want to give themselves to help someone else in need.

“There is a ton of good energy stuffed into our PePe, and I really do feel it.”