The Special Bond Between a Young Girl With Rare Genetic Disorder and Her Service Dog

Bella Burton was born with Morquio syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects her bones and greatly limits her mobility. She’s undergone multiple surgeries and myriad therapies, but the 11-year-old still struggled to walk on her own, always requiring crutches or a wheelchair to get around.

But all that changed after Bella met George — her Great Dane and best friend.

“I lean on him like a crutch,” Bella told ABC News of her canine companion.

And that’s not just figurative.

George, a service dog who was trained at Service Dog Project in Ipswich, Massachusetts, accompanies Bella wherever she goes. Bella uses the dog’s large body as a support, and walks confidently alongside him.

“I had wheelchairs, walkers, Canadian crutches, regular crutches and then we got George and I dropped my crutches and started to use him,” Bella told WCVB.

George, who was first introduced to the girl last year, has helped improve the child’s mobility and morale more than any other therapy she’s undergone. Bella now runs and plays on the playground, and even goes shopping at the mall, activities she didn’t feel comfortable doing before her family adopted George in January.

“With George, she’s become so much stronger and active,” the girl’s mom, Rachel Burton, told local news outlet Home News Here.

Burton added that George is “the most loyal dog we could have hoped for. He’s 131 pounds, and she’s 43 pounds, but he’s just so chill around her. And he does anything she says.”