Service dogs can be invaluable companions, offering both medical and emotional support. After one loyal service dog helped his human through grad school, the university honored him in a major way.

Brittany Hawley, from Wilson, North Carolina, uses a wheelchair and has complex regional pain syndrome. She found her perfect service dog, Griffin, through the paws4prisons program. “Some dogs were scared of the wheelchair,” Brittany told AP. “Griffin jumped right into my lap and licked me across the face.”

Griffin joined Brittany as she pursued a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Clarkson University. He attended all her classes, helped with tasks like opening doors and fetching supplies, and provided comfort during anxiety and depression. “I felt more independent, I was more social, I felt more outgoing with him,” Brittany told CBS News.

When Brittany graduated in late 2018, she wanted Griffin to be honored too. “We moved to New York together, we started school together and we finished together,” she said. Clarkson University agreed, awarding Griffin an honorary degree for “extraordinary contributions to student success.”

After graduation, Brittany plans to work with veterans and military personnel, with Griffin by her side every day. “He will be with me every single day,” she said. Share this inspiring story of loyalty and dedication!