Dogs Trained to Help Epileptics

By Jacy Wojcik in News on Apr 17, 2008 10:32PM

It’s no secret around here that we love dogs. But what we love even more are dogs with jobs. (Not to be confused with dogs that pretend to have jobs.) Seeing Eye dogs are the most well-known service dogs but seizure- response dogs are becoming more in demand for people who suffer from epilepsy. Seizure-response dogs are trained to get help when their owners have a seizure (so it’s not just a clever name) and can sometimes even warn their owner a seizure is coming by recognizing the scent that epileptics often give off before an episode. Seizure response dogs are carefully screened, take over a year to train and can cost nearly $19,000 to purchase.

Luckily, Canine Assistants, a non-profit group, trains and donates these pricey dogs to people with disabilities that may not be able to afford it on their own. Canine Assistants recently gave eight year-old Spencer Wyatt a seizure response dog to help take the stress off his parents who were constantly worrying about his safety. There is a lengthy waitlist for these pups and there are over a dozen people in the Chicago area on the list that may have to wait 1-5 years before receiving one. Fortunately, volunteering may help speed up the process. Canine Assistants is currently looking for volunteers in the Chicago area. Click here for more info. [S-T,Medill, photo of a service dog from the Canine Assistants website ]