Nala, a 2-year-old service dog, has warmed countless hearts thanks to an adorable viral video of her cuddling with Donald Duck at Disney World.
The video shows Nala putting her head on Donald Duck’s lap and closing her eyes in happiness while he gently pets her head. In the background of the video a woman’s voice can be heard saying, “She can stay here for the rest of the day.”
That voice belongs to one of the Disney cast members, Nala’s handler Megan Leigh tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “They love it when Nala comes to visit them,” she adds.
Nala and Leigh, who live near Orlando, Fla., go to Disney World two or three times a week — and were at the park when they spoke to Yahoo. “She LOVES the rides,” Leigh says of Nala, who was named after the Lion King character. “She loves the breeze that some of them give and she also loves the boat rides like Pirates of the Caribbean!”
While Disney World is of course a lot of fun, Nala is also on the job while she’s there. “I got Nala as an 8-week-old puppy after trying multiple treatment methods for some conditions I have, one of them being high-functioning autism,” Leigh tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “After not many things working, my doctor suggested a service dog who would know and learn tasks to help me with my disability. I trained her myself. One of her most useful tasks is called crowd control, which is when she circles me in crowded areas to help keep a gap of space.”
Nala also wears special gear when she’s working. In addition to the service dog pinny, she also wears special boots. “The boots help protect her paws from the hot pavement and also even when it’s not hot,” Leigh explains. “They protect her paws from the wear and tear of the cement.”