Dog dons graduation robes after helping owner complete university degree
Jack Proctor said of six-year-old Fudge: 'It's as much his degree as it is mine'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A student and his dog donned graduation robes today after the pet helped his owner complete his university degree.
Jack Proctor, 34, joined forces with cocker spaniel Fudge to complete a series of assignments as he studied for his BDes (Hons) in design and digital arts at Edinburgh Napier University.
The six-year-old dog starred in Jack's introductory video and course work, and featured prominently in his dissertation.
To mark Fudge's supporting role in his owner's academic journey, the dog joined Mr Proctor outside the Usher Hall ahead of the graduation ceremony wearing bespoke robes made by Mr Proctor's wife.
Mr Proctor, of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, said: "I know it seems eccentric, but Fudge has been part of my journey through uni since day one, so it just feels like a nice way to mark the journey's end.
"He was such a fundamental part of my dissertation that I even mentioned him in the acknowledgement section."
He added: "It's as much his degree as it is mine. He put in a lot of work and was really well behaved. He went above and beyond so it's really nice to have him with me."
He said his pet performs well for the camera, especially if there is a treat involved.
Fudge shot to fame during last year's ice bucket challenge when he featured in a video in which Mr Proctor used technical trickery to show himself getting soaked by the dog.
The video garnered millions of views on Facebook and 250,000 on YouTube.
Their video collaborations go back to Mr Proctor's very first day at university, when his class were asked to make introduction videos and he gave Fudge the lead role in his own.
The cocker spaniel also featured in a series of videos for Mr Proctor's dissertation on how designers can optimise the share-ability of their work.
Comedy special effects were used in the videos to show Fudge regularly outsmarting hapless humans.
Mr Proctor now hopes to use his degree to find work in the fields of advertising or social media.
Press Association
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments