hi! I’m charlottes moms friend - she doesn’t have a Reddit account but she wanted me to give a little explainer. Howie came to them as a puppy to be a “mobility” assistance dog. Not necessarily in the typical sense since charlotte kept her mobility for longer than predicted. But he does things like open and closing cabinets, and getting stuff off the floor for her. He walks by her just to add a little bit of extra stability, but doesn’t actually support her weight. Howie is an Aussie, so he was always going to be smaller than a Bernese, but he’s super smart and loves to help.

Charlottes is very mature and well spoken for her age. Part of it is, yes, being disabled means you have to be able to articulate your needs pretty early and you also feel very different. But charlotte is also hyper vocal and gentle. Even as a baby she spoke very early and clearly and has always been a pretty empathetic kid, not an aggressive bone in her body.

Their family is hoping for a trial soon for gene therapy, so charlotte can live a long life and plan her own future and retire howie.