Medical Detection Dogs, a charity which trains dogs to save lives using their incredible sense of smell, will increase its pawprint around the UK thanks to a significant amount of support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are trained to alert people with complex health conditions when they are in danger of having a potentially life-threatening episode so they can take the necessary action and prevent hospital admission.
Michelle and Francis
People of all ages are partnered with the medical alert dogs and having them by their side gives them back their confidence, independence and quality of life.
Conditions such as diabetes, severe allergies, PoTs, unexplained hypoglycaemia and blackouts are among those that the dogs can be trained to detect and alert well before their human partner is aware that an episode is about to occur.
£250,000 has been awarded to the charity by Postcode Animal Trust, which will enable Medical Detection Dogs to carry out even more life-saving work nationally, funding instructors and support staff around the UK who will be able to offer more care for existing clients and help expand our service.
Medical Detection Dogs CEO, Dr Claire Guest, said: “We are extremely thankful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us further our work to train medical alert assistance dogs to save lives.
“The players’ kindness means we can better support our existing clients, increase the number of applications we can consider throughout the UK and raise awareness of our work.
“It also means that wherever you are in the UK, you can get involved with Medical Detection Dogs as we develop and grow our regional support groups.”
Medical Detection Dogs uses the amazing power of the dog’s nose to detect human diseases.
The charity is also training bio dogs to detect diseases like cancer. Because dogs are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion (the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic sized swimming pools), they can potentially detect diseases much earlier than is currently possible. This pioneering work could help to speed up the diagnosis process and impact on thousands of lives.
Wendy and Holly
Medical Detection Dogs receives no government funding for its work and relies entirely on the generosity of donations from trusts and the public.
Lisa Belletty from the charities team at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “We are thrilled that players are able to support Medical Detection Dogs to reach more people with complex and life-threatening conditions. I’m looking forward to hearing about the partnerships that are formed between these amazing dogs and the people whose lives they are enriching.”
Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to detect the odour of human disease. It is at the forefront of the research into the fight against cancer and helping people with life-threatening diseases.
The charity’s Bio Detection Dogs are trained to find the odour of diseases, such as cancer, in samples such as urine and swabs. The Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are trained to detect minute changes in an individual’s personal odour triggered by their disease and alert them to an impending medical event. Medical Detection Dogs receives no government funding for the work they do and rely entirely on the generosity of donations from trusts and the public.
For more information visit www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk
People’s Postcode Lottery manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different charities and god causes. Peope play with their chosen postcodes for a chance to win cash prizes. A minimum of 32% from each subscription goes directly to charities and good causes across Great Britan and internationally – players have rasied £393 million so far. For details of the charities and good causes which are promoting and benefitting from the lottery draws, please visit http://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/goodcauses/draw-calendar
