Good boy! Service dog gets honorary diploma

"The inmates allow many dogs to come up to you and let the dog choose you," Hawley said. "Some dogs were scared of the wheelchair. Griffin jumped right into my lap and licked me across the face."

Hawley and Griffin worked at Fort Bragg in North Carolina during an internship, helping soldiers with mobility impairments as well as psycho-social disorders. Brushing a dog can help improve a patient's range of motion, and stroking him helps ease anxiety, Hawley said.

(In pic: A service dog with his owner.)

Hawley's patients would say, `My therapist today is Brittany and Griffin'. When she applies for jobs, she and Griffin will be a package deal, Hawley added.

"I couldn't participate in anything without him," she said. "I'm so used to him being there."

(In pic: A dog being trained.)