Duncan the golden retriever is a Diabetic Alert Dog to his human who has Type 1 Diabetes.
Like many service dogs, Duncan was trained by a group of amazing volunteers with Eyes Ears Nose & Paws in Carrboro, NC.
When it was time to be placed, a man named Ron who has suffered with diabetes for over 30 years fell in love with Duncan during an interview with his trainer. He said, “[I want] the best of both worlds; a dog to call my own, but one that could keep me safe and let me know of dangers I could no longer feel coming on.”
Seven months later, Duncan was placed with Ron and the two bonded instantly.
Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained with scent, so Ron was instructed to provide saliva samples at different blood sugar levels, and that’s how Duncan knows when to alert his dad to check his glucose.
In the adorable video below, Duncan’s alert boops have helped Ron better manage his diabetes.
The juice box retrieve helps Ron bring up his blood sugar level when it gets too low- a response that has saved Ron’s life.
Ron says, “There was one night where my blood sugar had really dropped out on me very quickly in the middle of the night. I could not stop shaking… leaving me stuck in bed. Duncan went to the fridge and grabbed a juice box for me. I was able to get it down and come back to some normalcy. When I was able to stand up and get to my kit, I tested and my blood sugar was 37 after drinking the juice (which is a REALLY low blood sugar) … I’m always grateful to have him at my side, but words cannot express how thankful I was to have him with me that night.”
When Bark Post asked Ron if Duncan knows what a good boy he is, and Ron responded, “He does! …I think he can sense I’m truly appreciative of his hard work in helping to keep me safe and healthy. We have a very strong bond and I know he loves to work and be engaged.”
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[Featured Image Credit: Duncan the Service Dog]
Hero Dog Helps Save Diabetic Owner’s Life By Bringing Him A Juice Box is an article from: LifeDaily