May 19, 2026, 12:36 PM
A service dog stole the spotlight when she received a “dogploma” at her owner’s college graduation ceremony over the weekend.
In an Instagram video shared by Texas Tech University, graduate Makaela Muse walks across the stage at United Supermarkets Arena on the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock to receive her degree and shake hands with Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec.
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After shaking Muse’s hand, Schovanec leans down and presents her service dog Sadie, who is beside her, with a special “dogploma” treat — a rawhide bone tied with a red ribbon.
The moment is met with enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience, as Sadie calmly accepts her gift and walks off the graduation stage with Muse.
Makaela Muse graduated from Texas Tech University on May 16, 2026, and received her bac…Show more
Texas Tech University
“I was just speechless,” Muse told the school in an interview afterward, adding, “That just made the moment so much more special … I will never forget that.”
According to the university, Muse said she was diagnosed years earlier with “some rather rare genetic conditions that required constant monitoring.”
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Sadie, a German shepherd, was already part of Muse’s family and was subsequently task-trained to stay by Muse’s side in school, she said.
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In a statement this week, Schovanec said, “Like so many of our graduates, Makaela represents the resilience, determination and heart that define Texas Tech students. Behind every student who walks across the commencement stage is a story filled with challenges overcome, sacrifices made and people who helped make that moment possible.”
Texas Tech told ABC News that Muse received a Bachelor of Science in animal science and hopes to pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian.
