A young boy from Renfrewshire has welcomed a new addition to his family - and the adorable arrival will make a huge difference to his life.
Zack Addison, 11, is partially sighted and has autism, having been born prematurely - a surviving twin - at 23 weeks weighing just 500g.
His parents have been fundraising to buy Zack a Fox Red Labrador puppy - and with £250 from local shopping centre Braehead and its Community Fund, they’ve been able to bring home 10-week-old Milo.
The adorable pup will go through 18 months of training to Kennel Club standards to become an assistance dog, providing a calming influence for Zack and helping him gain greater independence.
Zack’s dad George, from Johnstone, explained: “Zack spent the first few months of his life in hospital and we’re very lucky to have him here today, as he wasn’t expected to survive. But against all the odds he did.
“Zack is partially sighted, is autistic and has sensory issues. Milo will be trained to look out for him, have a calming influence on him and provide companionship.
“Having an assistance dog will mean the world to Zack and give him something to concentrate on. Milo will give him greater independence both in and out of the home along with companionship.
“Zack can become excitable and get frustrated with himself, but he really calms down when he’s in Milo’s company and the dog has already had an amazing influence on Zack.
“We really appreciate the generosity of the team at intu Braehead and we can’t thank them enough for the donation that will go towards Milo’s training.”
Lydia Brown, intu Braehead’s community development manager, added: “It’s amazing how assistance dogs can have such a positive effect on people’s lives.
“You can see that even as a puppy and still to be trained, Milo will become a great companion for Zack.”
