Cooper, 13, has found an unexpected community at the dog park.

Cooper, who is neuro-divergent, has a black labrador called Buddy and, with his mum, Nikki, often takes his fury friend to the local dog park.

It didn’t take long for Cooper to establish himself as the park’s resident dog expert, quickly learning all the dog’s names and breeds.

“He’s known as the dog whisperer,” Nikki said.

Cooper sometimes struggles with human interactions. But his love of dogs has become the bridge for community connection.

“He connects with the dogs at the park better than the people, but the added bonus effect is that he is communicating with people,” Nikki said.

“Doggy park brings people together and brings out a sense of belonging in the community,” Cooper added.

Cooper has no fear of making the first move when it comes to the dogs. Cooper will ask the regular questions before touching someone’s pet such as what the dog’s name and breed are.

Cooper does ask one unique question, though. “He’ll ask, ‘Can I have your dog?’,” Nikki said. “They’ll say ‘yes’, and he takes this literally and says, ‘It’s my dog now’. That’s just one of his quirks.”

At the dog park, everyone has the common connection of dogs, no matter who someone is or where they came from.

“Cooper wouldn’t talk to anyone if there were no dogs,” Nikki said.

“The dogs make him engage with the community and it’s really helped a lot in developing his communication skills.”

Nikki advises people to just start a conversation and find common ground when interacting with neuro-divergent people. “When people talk to him at the dog park, they always leave with a smile on their face,” she said.

Dogs have given so much to Cooper’s life. “I like to talk to the owners about the dogs and when I pat the dogs, I get a boost of happiness,” he said.

For Cooper, dogs have helped bridge gaps and create connections. And the dogs have helped community members get to know and appreciate an incredible young person.