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We recently got a goose-bump inducing, tear jerking update from an Eleven Eleven Animal Rescue alumni pup. Judah (puppy on the left) was born February 2010 to a 3 legged, extremely malnourished little 35lb(puppies included) husky momma. His mom, Ginny came into our care after being rescued from a seizure and gave birth only 10 days following her arrival.
Here is Judah’s update:
Hello All,
I thought I would give you an update on Judah (Husky Mix, one of Ginny’s pups from 2 1/2 years ago). He has been an amazing, smart and loyal companion to me since the day I brought him home and we’ve been through a lot of changes in the past two years and it all came to a head nearly a year ago when I ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. My pancreas had ceased producing any insulin and I had become very ill. It was a tough diagnosis after 25 years of living.
Well, leave it to Judah to make sure he’s taking good care of his mommy. That smart little man started waking me up at night and being insistent that I wake up and get out of bed. After two weeks of him doing this at 4 AM every morning my boyfriend suggested I start checking my blood sugar when he was behaving this way. Well this amazing boy was smelling a spike in my blood sugar! It’s been a few months now since we discovered his new talent and Judah now alerts to my high AND low blood sugars with such accuracy that he predicts drops in my sugar before my meter registers the change. He is officially a Service Dog and comes with me everywhere, and alerts to blood sugar changes in all types of scenarios, with all types of distractions and even over a reasonable distance.
Thanks to this amazing bundle of love that you rescued and brought into my life I have my independence back. I wasn’t driving or going anywhere alone for fear of having a drop and hurting someone with the car or getting stuck alone somewhere with no help. Now Judah is my help, and he is a wonderful companion and is SO good at his job. At my last doctor’s appointment my blood work all came back significantly improved and near perfect! I can’t wait to go back for my next appointment to see how the numbers look now! This dog has saved my life in so many ways and so many times and finally now has a job that makes it so other people can know what a life saver he is!
I still get goose bumps every time he alerts, it’s incredible. The truth is I didn’t train him so much as he trained me, right from the beginning he knew that something was off and wouldn’t take “no” or “go lay down” as an answer. The new joke in our house is “Stupid Human” because it took me longer to accept he really was THAT good at his job and I had to start trusting him. I’d argue with his alerts and tell him it wasn’t an appropriate time to play or get attention and he would remain so persistent. It didn’t take him long to realize that if I wouldn’t respond to his alerts he could go alert my co-workers and they would make me test! (He has been wrong about an alert ONCE and he alerts me daily)
At my last doctor’s appointment I had to have some “fasting” blood work done and my sugar always runs high in the morning if I don’t eat and give insulin first thing. So, I wasn’t surprised when he alerted to a high blood sugar on the way to the office (I was spiked to 157 and shouldn’t be over 140). Once they had drawn blood (now my sugar was 209) they told me to go get breakfast and come back after so I could give insulin and regulate my sugar. So We went and got breakfast and returned to the office. While having my appointment (first one since Judah started working) he became very stressed and started alerting VERY vigorously. He climbed into my doctor’s lap and I scolded him and told him he needed to lay down (I assumed it was the sitting still in this new place that was irritating him, Stupid Human). Then when a lab tech came into the room he tried to grab her by her scrubs and bring her to me. After apologizing and repeatedly telling the doctor that “he really doesn’t behave this way” she began to get concerned and told me that she wanted to check my sugar again (in all the dozens and dozens of doctor’s appointments I’ve had I have NEVER been checked more than once in a visit). Well she came into the room with a big smile on her face and said “I’m sorry to be smiling but he is AMAZING, your glucose level is up to 309 mg/dl. I have had a great day with great patients but THIS is definitely the COOLEST thing I have ever seen.”
So there you have it, this misfit who could have ended up anywhere, came to me and he saves my life a little everyday. I am so grateful to you and everyone who helps you make Eleven Eleven possible, thank you so much for bringing Judah into my world and saving my life!
Thank you SO MUCH, and never stop this wonderful work!
——-
Caroline Ross, AHT
Founder, Eleven Eleven Animal Rescue
Blogger, Montreal Dog Blog
Through adoption, sterilization, identification, and education, we hope to one day live in a community where homeless animals do not exist.
Adopt a pet, save a life (and who knows, maybe one day they will save your life).
