Clay Luthy served in the United States Air Force as a C-130 loadmaster.
Five surgeries later, his left knee was permanently immobilized. Charlotte, his golden retriever, taught herself to be there whenever he fell: she pushed him, supported him, and helped him get back up. She was never trained to do that. She simply did it.
When Clay went looking for work in Abilene, Texas, several companies shut the door on him as soon as they saw that Charlotte accompanied him. They told him they couldn’t allow a dog in the workplace. Until he arrived at Lowe’s. Jay Fellers, the human resources manager, hired him on his own merits, and Charlotte was added as part of the team. They made her a red-and-blue vest with the store’s logo, just like any other employee.
A customer photographed them working together and uploaded the image to Facebook. Clay, married and the father of three, found more than a job: he found a place where he didn’t have to choose between working and being with the one who takes care of him every day.
