The Milena and Xander story
He may not fight vampires like his namesake on Buffy but companion dog Xander is a different kind of hero, helping his recipient, Milena achieve greater freedom and independence.
“He [Xander] has the most lovable personality,†said Milena. “He is so affectionate and beautiful. He’s just gorgeous. He’s a great dog.â€
Xander performs physical tasks around the house for Milena that she can find difficult or impossible to achieve on her own. He opens the backdoor for her, picks things up off the floor and can bark on command, a handy skill especially if Milena needs to alert someone that she’s in trouble or in some cases needs them to open a door for her.
“My mother lives down the road but I can’t get to the front door, so I can ask Xander to ‘speak’ and that lets her know that I am there,†said Milena. “We also go for a walk everyday together and he loves them. When we go visiting he comes too, he’s just so good, he’s always with me.â€
Xander enjoyed his first Christmas with Milena last year and had lots of fun unwrapping his present under the tree, a brand new collar.
