Diamonds may well be a girl’s best friend, but this incredibly gifted dog is giving it tough competition in the territory. Meet Griffin, an adorable golden retriever cross, who will do anything for his differently abled owner Clare Syversten - including getting her dressed, loading the washing machine, even flushing the toilet.
Clare, 26 from Northolt, Middlesex suffers from the degenerative bone condition Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. A condition where the slightest movement could cause her joints to dislocate. This is where Griffin comes to the rescue.
While out and about, Griffin presses the buttons at road crossings, sorts Clare’s fruits and vegetables, grabs items on low shelves that Clare can’t reach and hands her purse over the cashier while making payments.
When the inseparable pair get home from their outings, the super pooch opens and closes doors and helps Clare move from her electric wheelchair to a manual one. What more! He even helps her undress before bedtime.
Volunteer charity worker Clare says she couldn’t live without her remarkably clever Griffin. She adds,
Having Griffin around has given me my confidence back. I really couldn’t live without him. My condition seriously limits what I can do and I used to depend a lot on other people; even something as trivial as picking up a pen would cause my wrist to dislocate.
I don’t need to depend on other people now as Griffin just does everything for me; he’s my hero. I think it would be easier to list the things he doesn’t do.
Clare met Griffin through the charity Canine Partners, who match assistance dogs with disabled owners to make their lives easier. She heard about the charity while on a wheelchair tennis camp, but waited until she had her own disabled flat before applying to the scheme. She attended a training day in July 2013 and describes the moment she first laid eyes on the dog that was to become her new best friend.
It was definitely love at first sight, I knew as soon as I saw him that he was mine, The first thing I thought was ‘wow look how big your paws are!’ and before long he jumped up on my lap, he was so friendly.
Griffin has now been helping Clare out for nearly two years and his amazing skills attract a big audience. Infact she finds it hard to go out and shop, with more and more people stopping to admire Griffin.
We have a big audience whenever we go out and about now. People look at him carrying out his tasks and you can hear them saying wow look at what that dog is doing.
Clare admits that Griffin’s presence in her life has boosted her self-confidence and given her much assurance around the house.
I used to be really quite nervous about going out on my own but that has all changed now. Now though, I have no hesitation about going out and it’s all down to Griffin. I really do not know what I’d do without him, he’s changed my life completely.
The change in Clare’s life has delighted the charity Canine Partners as well. Jenny Moir says,“Not only are the physical tasks beneficial, which gives the disabled person some independence back, but also the dogs increase self-esteem, confidence and companionship.”
(With inputs from AP)
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