A dog from Northolt who helps his wheelchair-reliant owner by performing tasks such as unloading the washing machine and flushing the toilet has reached the final of a Crufts competition.
Clare Syvertsen, 29, of Northolt, suffers from a rare connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which means her joints dislocate easily and she suffers from organ failure.
The potentially life-threatening condition means that Clare relies on her six-year-old dog Griffin, a Golden Retriever-Labrador cross, to perform a variety of household tasks.
There are more than 100 tasks that Griffin can perform, including opening doors, unloading the washing machine, helping Clare dress, picking up items from the floor and flushing the toilet.
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The pair have now reached the final of the Friends for Life competition run by Crufts, an award which celebrates how much dogs can change and improve people's lives.
Speaking ahead of the final on March 11, Clare admitted she still “can't believe” they have both been nominated for the Friends for Life prize.
“Griffin makes me the most amazing person in the world,” she said.
“He's so friendly with everyone. There are so many things that you can say about what he does, it's quite hard to put it into so many words."
Speaking about her condition, Clare added: “I was born with fewer collagen muscles and ligaments.
"I can get dislocated joints, things like nodding my head could result in a partial dislocation, I could reach for something and my pelvis will pop out.
“You can manage it but it can be life-threatening, it is for me. Two years ago, I lost the ability to swallow, my stomach is paralysed and my bowels have gone into gastrointestinal failure.”
At the moment, Clare can only have liquids and is tube -fed. Before she had the tube, she lived off soup for two years and lost a staggering 14 stone in 18 months.
After she was taken to hospital, Clare said Griffin was “pining” for her throughout her stay.
“When I was really ill, he knew straight away, even before I did," she said.
“He kept getting agitated and didn't want to settle, he didn't want to leave me – it was really out of character. Within a few weeks, I had fallen ill.
“5,000 people have Ehlers-Danlos in the UK and it’s very underdiagnosed. I have loved the Friends for Life event and raising awareness for Canine Partners, for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome."
Five dogs and their owners have got through to the final of the Friends for Life competition and people can vote for who they want to win on the Crufts website.
The winning duo will receive £5,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to donate to a dog charity of their choice and runners-up will receive £1,000.
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