Assistance dogs play an important role in the lives of people with disabilities.
They are highly trained professionals who perform important tasks, from completing daily tasks to helping their owners cope with stressful situations and a variety of emotions. In fact, they are more than animals. For people with disabilities, these animals mean everything to their lives. It is your best partner, helping hand, support system and best friend. For North Carolina native Brittany Hawley, going to college wouldn’t have been possible without her guide dog, GRIFFIN.
This beautiful golden retriever helped her fulfill her dream of graduating with a degree in occupational therapy. Finally, he too was able to attend the event and receive his diploma alongside his beloved owner!
After all, it was worth it with the earnings and hard work!
Griffin, Golden Retriever service dog
A girl kisses a dog at the graduation ceremony
“Whenever I need help, he kisses me because he loves me unconditionally,” Britney told CBS News.
Brittany’s dream has always been to get a degree in occupational therapy. But when he was 16, he developed a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). In such a short period of time, she went from a teenager who was a “normal” and active softball player to a girl with many psychological problems, including muscle problems, extreme pain and depression.
His condition also affected his legs, leaving him unable to walk and requiring him to use a wheelchair or crutches every day, leading to severe depression. After visiting a psychologist with a guide dog, Brittany asked for a dog of her own.
On the same day, Brittany got her interview at Clarkson University, in Potsdam, New York, and was approved for a service dog through Paws4People.
This is a service dog training program that trains and places assistance dogs with people in need to transform their life for the better.
And, so their journey began.
“We were in it from the beginning. We moved to New York together, we went through school together, and we moved back to North Carolina together,” Brittany told CBS News. “He made going to school a lot easier for me.”
GRIFFIN has helped Brittany gain more independence and has also helped her with social isolation that she sometimes feels due to her condition.
“I felt more independent, I was more social, and I felt more outgoing with him,” said Brittany.
In addition to providing enormous support, GRIFFIN is also trained to turn lights off and on, get things out of the fridge, assist with the wheelchair, and even retrieve things in an emergency, such as a phone.
GRIFFIN assisted Brittany with everything. Whenever she went to class, he was always right there next to her. He never missed a class.
“I pushed from day one for GRIFFIN to graduate with me,” Brittany told CBS News. “I wanted him to get a diploma just because he did everything… we didn’t miss a class, he went to everything I went to, and I wouldn’t have been able to finish without him.”
“The Board of Trustees recognized that Griffin has demonstrated extraordinary effort, steadfast commitment, and diligent dedication to the wellbeing and student success of his owner, Brittany. The two have pursued 100% together a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy, attending all the same classes, lectures, faculty appointments, group study sessions, social activities, research projects, and clinical experiences, fully making Griffin an equal member of the Clarkson Golden Knights family,” declared the President of Clarkson University.
At Clarkson University’s December 2018 Recognition Ceremony, GRIFFIN Hawley was awarded an honorary diploma for his extraordinary contributions.
Wearing a cap and gown, GRIFFIN proudly accepted his well-deserved diploma while everyone clapped and cheered for him. With a diploma in his mouth, GRIFFIN even struck a pose for photographers, being the good boy he is.
GRIFFIN also helped Brittany find love. She met her fiancée through the Paws4People organization, and GRIFFIN was even involved in the proposal.
“This boy has changed my life in so many ways. I never thought a dog would give me more hope in overcoming my disability than all the treatments I have tried. GRIFFIN, you are simply one of a kind, and you will never know how much independence you have given me,” Brittany said in an appreciation post on her Instagram account.
This adorable pair has a lot to look forward to, and I am sure that this devoted pup will always be by Brittany’s side.
