Baylor Scott & White service dog assists, brings joy to rehab patients

FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Always there when you need a shoulder to lean on is man's best friend, or in this case, everyone's best friend—Grayson.

Grayson is the second Baylor Scott & White (BSW) service dog to work at their Institute for Rehabiliation.

"He has far surpassed anything that we ever imagined we would be able to do," recreational therapist Katie White said.

The joy the yellow Labrador gives patients is just one of the perks that comes with his badge for the Fort Worth facility. He goes to work everyday with a job to help people get back on their path to some type of normalcy.

"If he can make that easier or exciting. I think that's a win all the way around," said Megan O'Malley, BSW's director of rehab.

Part of a partnership with Canine Companions—an organization that uses services animals to assist those with disabilities—Grayson works with both patients who stay at the hospital and those who come in five days a week to aggressively rehab their injuries or conditions.

In addition to suffering a stroke, rehab patient Jose Martinez was in a car accident which caused part of his right leg to be amputated. He works on his balance by trying to stay in place while Grayson continues to nudge him.

Another patient, Kali Mullenax, has a malformation on the front right side of her brain, and three procedures have left the left side of her body weaker. 

Part of her therapy is petting Grayson, which allows her to work on opening her left hand which typically stays clinched.

"It's definitely a weird feeling making those connections in your head again, but it's cool," Mullenax said.

Something as simple as relearning to stand and grab an item cannot be taken for granted, nor can the 2-year-old puppy who has helped people regain a piece of their old lives back.

"Just everything we're able to do with him and everything he's been able to do with the patients, is pretty spectacular," White said.