This is a heartwarming and sweet story of a girl named Chloé and her wonderful dog named Ted. Chloé has a rare heart condition called orthostatic postural tachycardia syndrome, as well as Ehlers-Danlos, which affects her joints. She has been battling illnesses since she was 13 years old. Thankfully, she has the best helper: Ted does everything for Chloé.

Chloé took Ted in when he was 5 months old and taught him herself. At first, he was afraid of her wheelchair. Now, he knows a bunch of commands that help Chloé live her everyday life. The tasks include picking up her shoes, giving her the items she needs, or even taking off her socks.

Soon, Chloé decided to get involved with Dog Assistance In Disability (Dog AID), a non-profit organization that helps people with physical disabilities to train their own pets to become qualified assistance dogs.

What do you think of this story? Isn’t Ted one of the best dogs in the world? Tell us in the comments!

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Chloé has a rare heart condition and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

“Me and my main man. Super cheesy but there’s nothing I enjoy more than sitting on a field with him and watching the sun dip below the horizon. This field, in particular, is a haven for birds, there’s so many! It’s lovely listening and watching them. Ted, meanwhile, loves it because it backs onto a school and so there’s a large number of tennis balls to hunt out that have been thrown over. His current record is seven balls found in one evening, I’m sure he’ll beat it soon enough. We don’t play fetch with balls if we can avoid it, it’s not particularly good for their joints, instead, I prefer to hide them in the grass so he can hunt for them. He loves it!”

So she decided to get a 5-month old puppy and teach him to be a service dog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

“A year ago yesterday I went into a hospital appointment and was told I would be admitted for tube feeding. The first thing I said was ‘Ted will be coming with me, that’s ok, right?’ I was in such shock, but even still, the very first thing on my mind was Ted. I couldn’t really comprehend what I was being told, but I knew that with Ted by my side, I could handle anything. My consultant said to expect to be in for a few weeks, 12 weeks later we were finally discharged. I firmly believe that having Ted by my side changed my entire mindset, I wasn’t able to wallow in misery, it was time to take Ted out. I still can’t commend the hospital enough for how amazing they were regarding Ted. But also, all of you. The support we received over those 12 weeks was phenomenal and truly helped so much. What could have been something absolutely awful was made bearable with the best support system I could have asked for. Without Ted, and by default everyone here, I don’t know how I’d have done it.”

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

At first, Ted was scared of Chloé’s wheelchair, but after a lot of training, she had the best helper ever

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

“You may feel that it’s unfair to keep a dog in a hospital, but there are many surprising benefits. The first being Ted is a working dog, he loves his job. Ted would hate being at home, even with dog walkers he would far prefer to be with me working. Another benefit is with regards to nurses, the ward I’m on is sadly quite short-staffed and help can take a while. Ted’s help means I often have nurses coming in asking if I’m ok, that I’m quite quiet, don’t I need anything? Nope! With Ted’s help, I am able to be almost entirely independent. This also relieves my mum from some of her worries about leaving me. Furthermore when in hospital, it can be hard to maintain motivation and an upbeat attitude, but when you have to take care of a dog, it provides a focus, a distraction and a way to break the day up. Not to mention a positive discussion point with any staff! I firmly believe there are countless benefits animals provide to patients.”

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Ted is always with Chloé, helping her in the house, hospital, and keeping her company any time she needs it

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

“4 years ago today we went into our final assessment with Dog A.I.D. (Assistance In Disability) and passed, making Ted a fully qualified Assistance Dog. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the following 4 years. It’s been the most fantastic whirlwind, I’m incredibly excited to see what the next 4 bring. I hope I’ve made you even a quarter of how happy you’ve made me, buddy.”

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

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Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

The adorable pair are inseparable

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

“This dude is my biggest inspiration for making the most of every day. I’m sure you all feel the same about your pets too, how many of us can say our lives have improved with pets in them.”

Ted absolutely adores Chloé and is very sad when she’s not with him. That’s why you can always find them together

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Chloé’s childhood pictures

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

Image credits: tedtheassistancedog

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