"Texas Lowe's hires veteran and his service dog" news article
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An Air Force veteran and his service dog, Charlotte, are working side-by-side at Lowe's.
An Abilene home improvement store has two new employees: one with two legs, another with four. (Photo: Provided to KXVA-TV)
ABILENE, Texas - An Abilene home improvement store has two new employees: one with two legs, another with four.
Clay Luthy, an Air Force veteran and his service dog, Charlotte, are working side-by-side at Lowe's in Abilene, Texas.
“I got her as a puppy. And she was never supposed to be a service dog. I found out a couple years ago she was alerting me and I didn’t even know it,” Luthy said.
Luthy said he was trying to find a job after serving in the Air Force, and wanted to find an employer who wouldn't mind his side kick.
“I was trying to figure out where I could go that would be a good fit and it wouldn’t mind having Charlotte, and my wife said I was at Lowe’s so much anyway, I might as well get a job there,” he said.
Charlotte – a 10-year-old yellow lab – is by his side in and out of the work zone. Jay Fellers, Lowe’s human resources manager, said it was a no-brainer to hire the pair.
“They were the best person for the job," he said. "So, we went through the interview process and Clay and his own merit won the job. And we knew he was gonna make a great employee – we just got the benefit of getting Charlotte right along with him."
Luthy and Charlotte became a viral sensation after a photo the pair took the Internet by storm.
Luthy said he still can't believe all of the attention he’s getting.
“By the time I looked at it, there was 1,000 comments on it. Oh my gosh, it was ridiculous,” Luthy said. “I found a way to have a productive life and my prescription is four-legged.”
Luthy says having a service dog has truly changed his life and more veterans should consider getting a service dog too.
And Luthy is training another service dog, Lola, to take Charlotte’s place.