Teen with autism has 100 4-legged guests at pug birthday party
— -- A 14-year-old boy got the surprise of his life when 100 pugs showed up as guests to his birthday party.
Andrew Vaughan never had a birthday party before, his sister McKenna Little, 20, told ABC News. Andrew has autism and Little said he told her he was scared to have a party because he feared no one would come.
But come they did -- pugs and pug owners filled a park in Sherman Oaks, California, on May 7.
Andrew told ABC News he has loved pugs since 2009 when he met two pugs named Sasha and Ketchup. "I love their smushed faces and the way they snort," he said.
Little put a post on her Facebook page asking if anyone she knew who had a pug would come to the party she was planning for Andrew. She didn't get any RVSPs until three days before the party when a local pug rescue group shared her post.
Gwenn Vallone of Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles told ABC News "All I did was share the invitation on our Facebook page and asked that any of our followers with pugs show up to the park. It all happened organically, really."
"We got dozens of RSVPs in just a few hours [of the post being shared]," Little said.
Andrew said he was "so happy" with the party. "The pugs were jumping all over me," he said. "I've never seen anything like that before in my life."
Their mom, Peggy Little, told ABC News she was "amazed" that McKenna took it upon herself to plan this for Andrew. "Siblings of kids with special needs have to give up a lot," she said. "We used to have money to take trips. Now neither of us even own a car because his therapies are so expensive."
The single mom added that while she would love to get Andrew a pug, she doesn't know how she would pay for the dog if it got sick.
McKenna Little was so inspired by the turnout that she's starting a nonprofit that will throw birthday parties for kids with special needs. She said she's started a GoFundMe to support it.
As for Andrew, he says he's also going into business: selling logos. First up? A pug of course.
