New Zealand's first diabetic response dog is 6 months away from graduation after being trained by a woman who owes her life to a .
When Merenia Donne drove off a cliff and suffered severe head injuries a number of years ago, she was dragged from the wreck and pulled up the cliff by her dog, Nikki. When the german shepherd later died of a brain tumour, Donne set up a charity in Nikki's honour.
It costs $NZ50,000 to train a diabetic response dog, and Donne's Kotuku Foundation Assistance Animals Aotearoa (KFAA), is putting two-year-old german shepherd, Uni, through the course. Once he graduates, Uni will be able to use his highly sensitive nose to detect changes in a diabetic's blood chemistry and alert them of a low blood sugar level, or hypoglycemic reaction, by grasping a rubber rod or a toy that hangs from his collar or by stepping on a specially installed button inside the diabetics house.
As a diabetic, I look forward to the day Uni graduates - it's reassuring to know someone's got our back.
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