'Hero' dog senses 4-year-old's blood sugar drop from miles away

Sadie's diabetic alert dog helps keep her safe when her blood sugar drops.
 By 
Laura Vitto
 on 

Hero the diabetic alert dog sensed something was wrong with her 4-year-old human friend Sadie and did what she's trained to do: alert Sadie's parents. 

The catch: Sadie -- a Type 1 diabetic -- was more than five miles away at school, reports KUTV.

While Sadie's parents know it's highly unlikely that Hero could detect their daughter's blood sugar levels from so far away, they remain amazed by their labrador retriever's intuition.


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Hero's shining moment came back in December 2015, while Sadie was off at school in Cedar Hills, Utah. Though her mother Michelle says Hero rarely acts up, she says the dog began to whine.

"He's normally a very quiet dog. Whining is not in his protocol. But he just started whining and he would not stop," she told KUTV.

Michelle called the school to ask that a staff member test Sadie's blood sugar, and though her levels were initially normal, within half an hour they dropped to near dangerous levels. Sadie's parents credit Hero with alerting them just in time.

"That's why we're thankful to have Hero, he's the one who saves her more times than not," Sadie's father told KUTV.

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Laura Vitto

Laura Vitto was Mashable's Deputy Culture Editor.

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