Girl's best friend can save her life... just by smelling her breath



ISSAQUAH -- For most dog or cat owners, their pet is part of their family.  But for one local family, their dog is way more than a furry friend.

Seven-year-old Emelia Kettman and her puppy Reggie never leave each others side.

"He’s the best dog in the world," says Emelia.

Emelia has type one diabetes, a life changing and potentially life ending disease. Reggie is her diabetic alert dog.

"The idea of a dog, that could potentially save her life, was miraculous for us," says mom Julie Kettman.

The family heard this was possible so they knew they had to try. They teamed up with River Dog in Issaquah. For the past year, Reggie has been training to detect the smell of Emelia's low blood sugar. Ultimately, he'll be able to alert the family or Emelia when her blood sugar is dangerously low.

"This is more satisfy as a trainer than anything I have ever done. It’s amazing," says Sarah Keck.

Reggie is now living with the family and constantly training and learning.

Service dogs like Reggie are not cheap, they range anywhere from $18,000 to $30,000. The family is hoping to raise money to not only cover the costs but also help other families in need.

To learn more, click this link.

To learn more about Riverdog, click this link.