It was an unexpected, yet special surprise, when one service dog received her own “diploma” during a recent commencement ceremony.
At Texas Tech University’s May 16 commencement, service dog Sadie was given a “special treat for a sweet doggo” and the moment stole the hearts of many in person and online.
In video shared by the university on Instagram, graduating student Makaela Muse accepts her diploma before Sadie, in her own matching gown, gets handed her own diploma by President Lawrence Schovanec.
“I was not aware it was happening,” Muse tells TODAY.com about the now-viral moment. “The staff actually brought me through a side door for the arena, away from the rest of the graduates, and I was introduced to all the regents and everybody except the president.”
“And I knew something was up because everybody had these knowing smiles,” she adds.
Muse was paired with Sadie, a Swiss Shepherd, when the pup was about 6 weeks old. Sadie turns five in August.
“We’ve been together a very long time,” Muse says, adding that the day of the commencement ceremony, Sadie “was just as wound up and excited as I was.”
“She knew I was excited and she was like, ‘What are we doing? How can we do it? Let’s do this!’ and I was like, ‘Oh geez!’” Muse adds.
Additionally, Muse shares that the adorable matching gown Sadie wore was made by her mom.
“(Sadie) had a cap too, but she refused,” Muse says, adding that the pup “tolerated it for about 60 seconds” before shaking the cap off.
Sadie frequently attended classes with Muse and was a regular on campus.Courtesy Makaela Muse
Muse had brought her own raw hide to take photos with Sadie afterwards and her uncle had been holding on to it. She calls it “insane” that the bone made its way on stage.
After Sadie got her “diploma,” she “immediately” looked for a place to lay down and enjoy her treat.
“(She) kept setting it on the carpet so that she could lay down, except we had to walk through the line and shake everybody’s hands,” Muse says with a laugh, “I ended up having to pick it up like three times.”
What Muse appreciates about Sadie is her intuitiveness and her ability to detect chemical changes. “She just is on top of things, she’s amazing,” Muse says, quipping, “She’s honestly smarter than I am most days.”
People couldn’t get enough of the heartwarming moment, leaving supportive comments on the Instagram post.
“(She) got his degree in security services and bark administration. With honors,” one person commented, with another adding, “Can’t wait until (she) gets his Dogtorate.”
“Congrats on your Doctor of Pawlosophy! Well deserved. Campus hero,” someone commented.
Another comment included a teary eye emoji and wrote, “A Dogree if you will.”
Muse, who considers herself an introvert, calls the attention she and Sadie have received “pretty insane.”
Graduating from the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a minor in chemistry and an equine certificate, Muse is now submitting applications to the Texas Tech Veterinary School in hopes of becoming a large animal veterinarian.
“I never would have gotten this far with Sadie if it wasn’t for Texas Tech and all of their amazing support,” she says about her time at the university and commencement. “So props to them.”