Abbie a helping paw for Clodagh

ABBIE isn’t just a dog to 11-year-old Clodagh Mangan; she’s like the sister she doesn’t have.

Clodagh from Ballymacelligott near Tralee, Co Kerry, has had her life transformed since the golden retriever came into her life two and a half years ago. However it’s only in the last few months that Abbie has been trained as an assistance dog, making Clodagh the first wheelchair-user child in the country to have such a dog.

Abbie graduated from training with Irish Dogs for the Disabled at the Nano Nagle Centre in Mallow yesterday and she is now able to turn on or off lights for Clodagh and send messages to Clodagh’s mother. It’s all part of the charity’s aim of giving greater independence to disabled people.