Can you help?
Medical Detection Dogs is a UK-base charity all training of dogs is support solely by donations and currently without any government support. In the 10 years since its inception, there has been only one dog part-fund by a local CCG for someone with an extreme allergy. There are two costs, training the dog itself, then pairing and training the person to the dog. This part of the process involves not just the application but an assessment, matching, then ongoing training and support. The charity is currently recruiting for certain positions and is always in need of volunteer support. You can see how to help on it’s website: www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk
The charity is actively looking for Type 1 diabetics who are prepared to do breath samples to help train detection dogs to recognise low blood sugars. Says Lydia Swanson, who’s in charge of recruiting volunteers for this, says, “We need to collect samples of breath odour from Type 1 diabetics who are having a blood glucose reading of less than 4.5mmols. We provide the materials and guidance as to how to do this and appreciate that it’s an extra ask for someone who is already experiencing a stressful event, but it’s immensely important for us when training our dogs.”
If you’d like to help, email: Lydia.swanson@medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk
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