Video still of a diabetic boy & his dog (© 2009-2013 KHOU-TV, Inc., a subsidiary of Belo Corp.)

Dakota the dog is diabetic swimmer's best blood-sugar monitor

2/2/2013

A Type 1 diabetic, Ben Ownby is also allergic to adhesives and can't wear automated monitors or insulin pumps. But he doesn't need them when Dakota is around. The 5-year-old Labradoodle is no mere mascot. He's a service dog that can smell Ownby's blood sugar levels and alert him when they're too low or high, even if it means jumping in the pool at the San Antonio high school where Ownby is a freshman on the swim team. Dakota has rescued his owner from several episodes and is jokingly referred to as an assistant coach, even if the only stroke he knows is the dog paddle. [Source]

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