Police officers in Windsor, Ont. have arranged for a new puppy for a boy with autism from Ottawa whose beloved dog was hit by a car.

Sasha was killed while the boy’s family was visiting relatives in Harrow, Ont., about 40 kilometres south of Windsor, for Thanksgiving.

After she ran away, Essex County OPP issued a media release urging residents to be on the lookout for the dog and volunteers fanned out to search for her. But that sadly ended with the discovery of her body in a deep ditch alongside a road the next day.

Alex Brown, 13, was devastated by the loss of his companion dog. While Sasha wasn’t trained as a service dog, the boy spent nearly every minute of every day and night for the last three years with the golden retriever. The dog was a positive and calming influence on him.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. There’s been a lot of ups and downs and for the children, it’s definitely been a heartbreak,” said Alex’s mom Jackie Brown. “She meant everything to our family. It was devastating.”

A calm and sweet seven-week-old yellow Lab pup named Jake will help ease the blow.

“It really bothered a lot of us and it struck a chord in our hearts and we wanted to do something. We just couldn’t sit by and do nothing,” said Cst. Sean Patterson of the Windsor Police Service. He was deeply touched because he’s got a son and dogs of his own

He reached out to a local breeder and with other officers, raised enough money to get a puppy for Alex.

“He’s just a special little boy and unfortunately, to go through something like that at his young age is a difficult thing,” said Patterson. “It’s a tearjerker. I’ve had to hold back emotions a couple of times.”

Sasha can’t be replaced, said Jackie Brown, but the generosity of the officers and the community will help heal some wounds. Her children are excited to welcome Jake, she said. They will pick him up next week.

With reports from CTV Ottawa’s Annie Bergeron-Oliver and CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell