Peanut-Sniffing Dogs Give Kids a Chance at Normal Lives
Few pet-owner relationships are as heartwarming as those between a seeing eye dog and his master. Recently, the Today Show on NBC reported the same kind of dog-helping-human companionship for food allergic children.
Peanut-sniffing dogs are trained to sniff for peanuts and other food allergens in much the same way that bomb or drug-sniffing dogs search for those items. If they find the offending allergen, they signal their owners by a change in behavior like excessive sniffing or tail-wagging.
Peanut-sniffing dogs have the same privileges as seeing eye dogs, and may be taken into restaurants, malls, schools, and the like. For families of children who have life-threatening food allergies, these dogs offer a chance at a more normal life.
Sherry Mers founded the Angel Service Dog Network after a peanut-sniffing dog changed the life of her peanut allergic daughter. Riley, Ms. Mers’s daughter, says that with her dog she now feels safer and knows where she can and can’t go. The Angel Service Dog Network trains and places allergy-sniffing dogs with families. Four of the dogs which typically cost about $10,000 have been placed so far.
One of these dogs is Roxy, an Australian Labradoodle, who now helps Logan, a peanut allergic child know what is safe and what’s not. Logan is so allergic to peanuts that the smell of peanuts on a teacher’s breath once sent him to the emergency room. Residents in Logan’s small town raised $20,000 for his chance at a normal childhood. His parents say that Roxy makes the idea of a normal life not far-fetched.
Many families hope for the same for their children. There have been over 2,000 inquiries regarding these life-saving pets. Ms. Mers describes the process of obtaining one, including doctor’s proof of anaphylactic allergy and proof that having the animal will not cause additional health problems, such as allergies to pet dander or asthma.
The journey of making life with allergies as smooth as possible continues, and we’re happy to see that man’s best friend has joined the quest.
Peanut-sniffing dogs are trained to sniff for peanuts and other food allergens in much the same way that bomb or drug-sniffing dogs search for those items. If they find the offending allergen, they signal their owners by a change in behavior like excessive sniffing or tail-wagging.
Peanut-sniffing dogs have the same privileges as seeing eye dogs, and may be taken into restaurants, malls, schools, and the like. For families of children who have life-threatening food allergies, these dogs offer a chance at a more normal life.
Sherry Mers founded the Angel Service Dog Network after a peanut-sniffing dog changed the life of her peanut allergic daughter. Riley, Ms. Mers’s daughter, says that with her dog she now feels safer and knows where she can and can’t go. The Angel Service Dog Network trains and places allergy-sniffing dogs with families. Four of the dogs which typically cost about $10,000 have been placed so far.
One of these dogs is Roxy, an Australian Labradoodle, who now helps Logan, a peanut allergic child know what is safe and what’s not. Logan is so allergic to peanuts that the smell of peanuts on a teacher’s breath once sent him to the emergency room. Residents in Logan’s small town raised $20,000 for his chance at a normal childhood. His parents say that Roxy makes the idea of a normal life not far-fetched.
Many families hope for the same for their children. There have been over 2,000 inquiries regarding these life-saving pets. Ms. Mers describes the process of obtaining one, including doctor’s proof of anaphylactic allergy and proof that having the animal will not cause additional health problems, such as allergies to pet dander or asthma.
The journey of making life with allergies as smooth as possible continues, and we’re happy to see that man’s best friend has joined the quest.
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