The Mayor Of Muttland Meadows

Doctors told Caleb’s parents he might never walk or even speak. In fact, he mastered these skills and so much more

- Alikay Wood

CALEB GRISWOLD STRIDES INTO Muttland Meadows dog park in Grafton, Wisconsin, a man on a mission. Around his waist is a work belt with bug repellent, sunscreen and a dog leash. He pulls a wagon behind him. The wagon contains milk jugs filled with the water Caleb uses to refill the 15 dog bowls scattered around the park. As soon as he’s in the gate, Caleb greets the regulars. “Hi, Otis! How are you, buddy? Ready to play?” He knows every dog and owner by name. He plays fetch with Lucy while chatting with her owner, Pam. Helps take Freya and Surrey to the car when their owner, Sandy, is ready to leave. Gives Max a belly rub and puts Tillie in time-out if she misbehaves.

Then Caleb waters the flowers, collects litter and restocks the waste bags. If he sees a dog drinking water that’s old, he rushes over. “Here, Lambo, let me give you some fresh water.”

Seventeen-year-old Caleb does all of this on his own, something that might not be so remarkable if it weren’t for the fact that he was born with cerebral swelling and a rare disorder called agenesis of the corpus callosum with colpocephaly. He was missing the band of white matter connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The doctors told his parents, Andy and Laura, that Caleb might not ever be able to sit up, walk or even speak.

Caleb learned to do all of these things and more. At 16, he was doing well in his special education classes, but his obsessive tendencies led to behavioral issues. That’s where the idea for a dog came in. Caleb loved dogs, and his parents thought the responsibility of taking care of one would help Caleb refocus some of his compulsive behaviors.