Hulu Releasing Rosie O’Donnell Documentary On Service Dogs

Rosie O’Donnell is bringing attention to the transformative role that service dogs can play for young people with disabilities in a new documentary.

The film “Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism” spotlights how a service dog named Kuma improved the lives of O’Donnell and her child Clay, who has autism.

“I didn’t have any idea that they had service dogs for autistic kids,” O’Donnell says in a trailer for the documentary special. Kuma “went right to Clay” when they met, she said, adding “that’s her person.”

In addition to Clay, the documentary features the family of a child named Kaleb, 9, who has autism and who is taking the first steps toward receiving a service dog. It also pulls the curtain back on how the animals are trained.

O’Donnell said she first learned about the Guide Dogs of America service dog program through her friend Lyle Menendez, who is incarcerated. The film explores how the organization has turned to prisoners to help train service dogs in order to meet demand for them.

“This groundbreaking initiative not only prepares dogs to change lives but also transforms the inmates themselves instilling purpose, empathy, and hope, with a 0% reoffending rate among participants,” according to those behind the documentary.

“Unleashing Hope” will be available on Hulu starting Tuesday.