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Great Dane Service Dog Bestowed ‘Best Day Ever’ Celebration
A service dog that accompanies a young girl was given the “Best Day Ever” celebration. George, a two-year-old Great Dane, enjoyed his special day by eating treats given to him by humans and playing in the snow without abandon.
George has been taking care of Bella Burton, 11, who is afflicted with Morquio syndrome. Bella’s rare disorder has caused the slowdown of the growth of her bones, thus she’s not able to sit, stand up or walk normally. George helps her do that instead.
“The first time I walked with George, it was amazing,” said Bella via Barkpost. “It was like I haven’t walked in so long, and now I get to do it again.” It was Barkpost that organized George’s “Best Day Ever” in recognition of his work and his special bond with Bella. They wanted to give the dog the “ultimate day off.” You can watch the video here.
George and Bella celebrated at the Fairmont Hotel and ate at the Walburgers. They also went skiing at the Blue Hills Skills Area and feasted on doggie treats at Polka Dog.
“George deserves the world’s best day because he had changed the life of my daughter,” said Bella’s mom, Rachel, via Inside Edition.
The Burton family acquired George via the Service Dog Project in Massachusetts, where they are volunteers. It took a while for the Burtons to finally decide Bella needed to have servce dog companion, but they finally let it happen after watching the girl around the dogs.
“Once we saw Bella being around those dogs, how she was always in such a great mood and she loved going there, we thought, ‘What are we waiting for?'” the Burtons said via Today. “When she was visiting George and he didn’t want her to leave his kennel, they were like, let’s try them.”
Having George around helped Bella also overcome her condition in amazing ways that she eventually was able to ride a bicycle. “Seeing Bella gain strength is amazing! Is she pain free? No. But she has been doing more things lately then we ever thought. But then again we were told that she will more than likely never ride a 2-wheeler and last year she proved everyone wrong with that!” the statement read on the Bella and George Facebook page, where there is a video of the girl biking, with George following and keeping watch over her.
About the Author: The writing team at Service Dog Certifications is made up of folks who really know their stuff when it comes to disability laws and assistance animals. Many of our writers and editors have service dogs themselves and share insights from their own experiences. All of us have a passion for disability rights and animals.
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