The three-legged dog who helped a little boy with a rare condition overcome his fear of outside world

A boy whose fear of open spaces left him scared to leave his house is now venturing outside after striking up a heart-warming friendship with a dog.

Owen Howkins, seven, and his trusted companion Haatchi have become inseparable after the family pet helped him overcome anxiety.

Owen became 'withdrawn' at school when he realised a rare genetic condition made him different to other boys and girls.

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Me and my dog: Owen with his friend Haatchi, who has helped him overcome his anxiety of the outside world

Winners! Owen now loves taking Haatchi to dog shows, where he has proved to be quite a hit

Lean on me: Owen's father said the pair didn't like to be apart

Tragically, it left him scared to talk to people and worried about leaving his home in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

But now Haatchi - an Anatolian shepherd dog - has given Owen a new lease of life after dad Will Howkins adopted the pet from a rescue centre. The pair can be seen walking down the road together after becoming the best of friends.

Owen suffers from Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which means his muscles are always tense.

Haatchi himself had a difficult start in life, suffering horrific injuries when he was tied to a railway line and hit by a train around ten months ago. He was found days later, cowering, with a mangled tail and back leg.

By the time he was taken to a vet's surgery, nothing could be done to save his leg and tail and both had to be amputated.

Haatchi's future looked bleak as the RSPCA and UK German Shepherd rescue centre struggled to find him new home.

But he was eventually adopted by father Will and fiancee Colleen Drummond, 41, who read about the animal's plight on Facebook.

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