Medical Alert Service Dogs
Meet Reagan and SDV Pearl
Reagan is a brain tumor survivor. As a result of the brain tumor, she developed, Addison’s disease, a adrenal insufficiency disorder. Her body doesn’t recognize if she sick, injured, or under major stress. Since she is unable to naturally produce cortisol, she can go into adrenal shock quickly and die without proper treatment. Pearl’s job is to alert her when her levels are too low.
More Confidence. Greater Safety. Everyday Peace of Mind.
With their remarkable sense of smell, medical alert dogs can detect subtle changes in body chemistry—such as a drop in blood sugar—before a person may even notice symptoms. This early detection gives individuals time to take action, helping them avoid medical emergencies and better manage their condition, which can reduce both short-term crises and long-term complications.
How Medical alert dogs are trained
Our dogs are trained through scent detection to recognize changes in human body odor that signal a medical event. Approved applicants provide scent samples, which our trainers use to teach the dogs how to reliably identify these unique scents.
SDV currently offers Medical Alert Service Dogs for:
Type 1 Diabetes
adrenal insufficiency
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Eligibility & Application Process
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Must be at least 18 years of age
Have Type 1 Diabetes complicated by hypoglycemic unawareness, adrenal insuffficiency, or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Please see Applicant Criteria for more criteria
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Learn How to Apply for a service dog
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See how Donna’s Service Dog, SDV Birdie, has made managing life with Type 1 diabetes a little easier.
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