Sabina Gibson (15), who was born with a rare disorder, met her service dog, Niles, six years ago.
They instantly became "best friends".
Sabina was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a chromosome deletion disorder which presents symptoms similar to those seen in autistic children.
Her parents, Bruce and Claudia, applied to get a service dog after their daughter became harder to control as she got older, one issue being her running off after household pets she saw outside their home.
September is Assistance Dogs New Zealand appeal month, and the Gibson family has been trying to raise funds for families like theirs.
Mr Gibson said he wanted to make sure families like his would also be able to meet their new "best friends", so he had been out with Niles looking for donations at Meridian Mall on Friday.
"It’s just a great cause. We see all the people it helps, but it’s also really underfunded. We just went out for a couple of hours with his gear on," Mr Gibson said.
Now, when Sabina is having a hard day she has Niles for comfort, and he’s often see lying on her lap or along the end of her bed to comfort her.
"He would lie on her chest, and I thought he would be crushing her, but no, he’s comforting her to let her know he’s there," Mrs Gibson said.
He goes everywhere with the family. Whether it be hospital, specialist appointments, movies, aeroplane rides and even the supermarket, Niles is there reminding Sabina she is not alone, said Mrs Gibson.
"People are so much nicer. They don’t freak out, and Sabina sometimes lets little kids pet him, so she gets lots of kudos," Mrs Gibson said.
"In his work jacket, Niles provides a welcome signal to passers-by Sabina has extra challenges, and we need a little more patience and understanding," Mr Gibson said.
Throughout the appeal the trust is hoping to raise $75,000 to assist with their 25 puppies in training, the breeding programme, training dogs, placement and supporting the dogs throughout their working lives.
The trust did not get government funding and relied solely on donations from the public.
The waiting time for a service dog could be more than five years, and more than 50 families were on the list.
