Bill, the puppy I donated to Miracle pups. Click on the link to see the story of Bill,
He’s just four months old and a couple of feet off the ground, but for Australians living with a rare disease, Bill could be a serious game changer.
The golden retriever will soon begin training to assist his owner Laura Moody, who lives with Addison’s disease, in case of a medical emergency.
If successful, Bill will become Australia’s first medical alert dog for the condition.
Laura, 27, searched for a service that could help her train a puppy after experiencing a life-threatening adrenal crisis.
“I woke up feeling fine, had my porridge, then in the space of five minutes I went from totally normal to blurred vision, vomiting, intense cramping — it was really scary,” the Sydneysider says.
Thankfully her partner was there to administer an emergency injection and call an ambulance, but it left Laura feeling scared to be alone.
Miracle Assistance Dogs will support the training, teaching Bill to sense when Laura’s cortisol (stress hormone) levels are low before symptoms appear.
It’s the freedom and independence Laura has been looking for and many others could benefit from.
“I often get quite anxious on my own, if I had him there I would have so much more peace of mind,” Laura says.
We heard from Laura when we asked you to share your pets with human names.
“I wanted to give him a human name not only because I love the quirkiness of it, but once he’s a qualified medical alert dog, I’d love to be able to refer to him as ‘my assistant, Bill’,” Laura says.
