Griffin, the endearing golden retriever/cross, will do anything for his handicapped owner Clare Syversten, including dressing her, filling the washer, and flushing the toilet.
Despite having the degenerative bone disorder Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which may cause the smallest movement to cause her joints to dislocate, Clare, 26, from Northolt in north-west London, can always count on her cute canine buddy to pick up whatever she drops.
Griffin pushes the traffic light buttons at intersections, separates Clare’s produce into bags, reaches for goods on low shelves that Clare can’t reach, and carries her purse to the cashier while paying for groceries when she is out and about.
The great dog unlocks and closes doors, helps Clare transition from her electric wheelchair to a manual one, and assists her in getting dressed for bed when the best friends arrive home from their adventures.
Clare, a charitable volunteer, claims she couldn’t survive without Griffin, a remarkable intellect.
Through the nonprofit organization Canine Partners, which pairs disabled owners with assistance dogs to make their lives simpler, Clare met Griffin.
She learned about the organization while attending a wheelchair tennis camp, but she didn’t apply to the program until she got her own disability apartment.
She went to a training event in July 2013 and recalls the first time she saw the dog who would eventually become her new best buddy.
Griffin has been assisting Clare for almost two years, and he has a large following thanks to his incredible talents.
Clare claims that because so many people now pause to admire Griffin at work, running a typical shop can now take some time.
Clare claims that one of the biggest changes in her life right now is her increased self-assurance, which she attributes to Griffin.
