Diabetic-Alert Dog

Hi, my name is George Devlin. I am 16 years old and I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when I was 13 years old. 3 years ago when I was going to summer camp I met a dog named Tansey. He was the nurse's dog so I spent a good amount of time with him. Tansey was not a normal dog, he was a diabetic-alert dog, and he was incredibly proficient at what he did. Multiple times he even alerted me even though he was not trained to do so. This lit the spark in me, and from then on getting my own diabetic alert dog was something always in the back of my mind that I have wanted to do.

Recently I have made steps to achieve this goal. I started looking for a puppy that was right for the job. I have done tons of research on how to find the right dog, how to train the dog, and what the whole process entails. I finally landed on Gilfords Golden Guardians, the same program that was used to train Tansey. One thing I learned off the bat was that the training of a diabetic alert dog costs a lot of money- 15,000 dollars on average. I have been working hard on finding a way around that number. I thought it was outrageous that an amount of money that large could be asked for when it comes to helping lives. As I have done my research, and talked to others who have Service Dogs and who have trained with others, there is almost no way around this number and to do it the right way takes money. Gilfords Golden Guardians requires $17,500 dollars.

$14,000 covers the cost of the training and $3,500 covers the dog. The training includes the help of a professional trainer all around the clock, daily tasks and responsibilities between me and the puppy, 2 in-person visits a month, and (if all goes as planned!) the certifications to be a full, licensed service dog that is by my side.

Having a diabetic-alert dog means I have a dog that comes with me everywhere I go. It means peace of mind when I am falling asleep and living in college out on my own. Having a dog that's with me all the time means I have an extra safety precaution that could potentially save my life if I need it. This training is not an easy task though as it is extensive and fast-paced but it gives me the chance to truly bond with an animal, an experience I believe all of us should have. I will send out updates and photos to donors who would like, so you can follow me along on this journey and stay updated on how the training is going.

If my story interests you and you would like to donate to make this possible, anything helps. If you have questions or just want to learn more feel free to contact me.

Thank you.