This girl brought her service dog to prom, and our hearts can’t take it
Most of us know that one of the biggest humps to get over before prom night is finding a great date. A good one will look cute with you in pictures, take you out on the dance floor, and be sensitive enough to get you home if things don’t go so well. It might seem like a lot to check off, but never fear!
These Insta photos of a Maryland teen named Claire and her service dog, Percie, are proof that a date that hits all the marks truly exists.
World, meet the ultimate prom queen and king.
Claire started to train Percie to be her service dog two years ago when she got him as a puppy.
In an interview with The Dodo, Claire explained she brought her doggy date, Percie, to prom after he’d been trained to help her deal with anxiety attacks.
“A large part of my disability are anxiety-derived ‘episodes,’ which can best be described as panic attacks. Percie can detect my cortisol levels and lets me know when an episode is about to happen based on my levels. This gives me the advantage of knowing before the episode occurs so I can take measures to lessen its severity,” Claire told The Dodo.
Claire shared that during prom she experienced a few episodes, but the situation was controlled by Percie, who stayed by her side the whole time.
Claire’s final episode was serious enough that Claire, her boyfriend, and Percie ended up leaving prom early. Fortunately, her canine companion kept everything under control while the group waited for Claire’s mom to pick them up. Percie helped “alleviate some symptoms” of Claire’s “by shifting her weight onto pressure points” on her lower body while they waited.
Everyone says that dogs are man’s best friend, but it looks like we’re gonna need to campaign to get them the title of “best prom date” too.
“Without Percie, I would not have had the courage to go to prom in the first place,” said Claire
Seriously, get these two some crowns.
