A disabled boy has been separated from his beloved three-legged rescue dog amid the coronavirus pandemic due to health risks.
Owen Howkins is a 13-year-old boy who was born with a muscular disorder. When he was six years old, his family decided to adopt Haatchi, a gentle giant with three legs.
Saved from abusive owners, Haatchi immediately forged an unbreakable bond that was presented in Wendy Holden’s No.1 bestseller ‘Haatchi and Little B.’
Following seven years of adventures with Haatchi, young Owen has been separated from his best friend as he was moved to a more secure location due to coronavirus concerns and his underlying health issues including breathing problems.
Since Owen’s stepmother is working as a frontliner, the 13-year-old was told to go live with his mother, Kim, to reduce the chances of catching the killer bug.
“It was really hard saying goodbye to Haatchi. He’s my best friend in the world. I tell him everything and snuggle up with him each night because he’s so big and cuddly,” Owen said according to The Daily Mail post by Wendy Holden.
“When I’m with him nothing else matters. Now I can only see him on my iPad and it’s not the same. I can’t wait to cuddle him again and kiss his freckly nose.”
As the boy’s father, Will, explained, the family talked to the boy’s doctors and school before agreeing that moving the boy was the safest thing to do.
“I’d have gladly moved out rather than separate the two of them but that wasn’t feasible since none of us know how long this is going to go on for,” Owen’s stepmother said. “And Haatchi can’t go to Kim’s because she has another dog.”
While it is unclear how long the best friends will remain separated, Owen can’t wait to return home and give Haatchi a big hug.
“I miss everything about him, even his hair on my clothes. Home schooling might have been less productive with him around, as he always likes to get his nose in everything and see what’s going on, but I wouldn’t even have minded that,” the boy said.
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Replaced!