Success Stories

Client Crystal with service dog Dela Crystal and "Dela"
"Life with diabetes is exhausting, and life with diabetes in a non-diabetic family and circle of friends is sometimes lonely. Dela changed that for me. Dela is my medical alert service dog that I received from Dogs4Diabetics a year and a half ago. It is difficult for me to put into words what Dela has done for me. I have had type 1 diabetes for fourteen years, and when I was first diagnosed, I felt like my life was over. Early on, I was told that having diabetes is like having a permanent part time job from which I can never take time off. Now with Dela, I can at least job share the work of catching hypoglycemic episodes. Dela is always working and always right. The best part for me is that when she helps me, it's non-judgmental. She is my constant companion."

Client Scott with service dog Nico Scott and "Nico"
"I definitely think that Nico has helped me keep better track of my health and has saved my life on numerous instances. He has woken me up on very severe lows, when I wasn't really coherent. I think the lowest he has alerted me was 36. I think that Dogs4Diabetics does an absolutely wonderful thing. They place dogs with people, which do an amazing service both medically and emotionally, for free. It's an amazing service that people do for other people!"

Client Devin and her service dog Cody Devin and "Cody"
"I'm absolutely confident in the life-long partnership I have now formed with Cody. I'm an active, friendly, laid-back young woman who loves walks in the redwoods, trips to the beach, and nights at the theater, and can benevolently tolerate throwing a tennis ball with a Chuck-it for hours on end. Cody is an active, friendly, laid-back Golden Retriever who loves walks in the redwoods, trips to the beach, fetching a tennis ball from a Chuck-it, and can benevolently tolerate nights at the theater for hours on end. He is my ever-present alert system, my freedom, my devoted partner in the minute-to-minute care of my chronic condition, and the light of my life."

D4d client Breanne and her service dog Destiny Breanne and "Destiny"
"My first few months with Destiny were very exciting. It was a brand new experience for me. All of a sudden, I had a dog everywhere I went. It became second nature to me to rattle off assistance dog accessibility laws, and put little plastic baggies in all of my purses—just in case. I started working with Destiny on the final phase of hypoglycemia alert training. I was in constant contact with D4D staff members who helped me fine-tune Destiny's alerts to get her up to a 95% accuracy level!"

D4d client Kristin with her service dog Rochelle Kristin and "Rochelle"
"As the mother of a child living with Type 1 Diabetes, every day has been like walking a tightrope as I've tried to balance insulin, carbohydrates, exercise, and blood sugar testing with our 12 year old daughter, Kristin. Our lives have completely changed since we have received our amazing dog, Rochelle, from Dogs4Diabetics. Rochelle is so amazing, and we are so grateful to have her be part of our life. The other day we had Kristin's 3 month check-up at Children's Hospital. Her average blood sugar is in an excellent range. Her doctors were especially thrilled with her blood sugar levels from the last two weeks -- no dangerous lows, and no dangerous highs."