The unbreakable bond between pet and owner
At PDSA, we know how important pets are. For some of us, they're our only companion. For others, they're who we can talk to when it feels like no-one else is listening. No matter how your pet is there for you, we can all agree that the bond we share with our pets is completely unbreakable.
For some of us, our pets go above and beyond what we'd ever expect. For Claire, her dog Pal provides more than just companionship and friendship and has saved her life on more than one occasion.
Pal's story
Video found at youtu.be/2esXEHBYal4
Claire has lived with Type 1 Brittle Diabetes since birth. But her life, and her family’s lives, changed dramatically when she fell seriously ill with end-stage renal failure in 2003. This meant she needed a pancreas and kidney transplant, and faced dialysis three times a week.
Claire was rendered unable to tell when she was hypoglycaemic (hypo), which meant that her young children would often return home from primary school to find her collapsed. She was left with little confidence and unable to leave the house on her own. Her two sons became young carers by default and the family’s plight became increasingly desperate.
In the depths of despair, Claire saw an advert for Medical Detection Dogs and applied for assistance. In 2012, Claire was introduced to 16-month-old Labrador, Pal, and their remarkable relationship began.
On the very first night in his new home, Pal alerted Claire to a hypo as she slept – nudging her face and ribs with his nose and licking her. He does this by smelling the chemical changes in Claire’s breath. His ability to do this has stopped Claire from falling into hypo-induced comas on countless occasions.
Pal’s dedication to Claire – both as a Medical Detection Dog and a friend – has formed a bond between the two. For Claire, Pal is so much more than ‘just a dog’.