Autistic Carmichael Boy, 6, Loses Family Dog, Best Friend

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) — Losing a dog is difficult for any family. But for 6-year-old Brycen Kouza, he has lost far more than a pet.

"I miss her so much," he said. "She's just like my little sister."

Missing since New Year's Eve, Myleigh is also Brycen's very best friend.

"I've been crying on the first day she got lost," he said.

His mother, Whitney Hanson, says they adopted Myleigh after he was diagnosed with Autism and that she has worked wonders for his development

"It's like a therapy dog," she said. "It really is. Once we got Myleigh, it kind of got him out of his shell. He was out playing more. Animals in general are very important to kids growing up. It just makes it a lot harder for us right now."

Now Brycen is organizing the effort to find the Pug and Maltese mix, making copies of flyers to post around the neighborhood.

At this point the family is desperate to get the dog back. If you've seen the dog, contact them. There are signs all over the neighborhood off Fair Oaks and California.

The family fears the dog was stolen because she never runs off. They say the dog can also be dropped off, no questions asked.