For individuals with diabetes, keeping track of their blood levels is a task that’s both tedious and stressful. Hypoglycemia—or low blood sugar—can cause shakiness, dizziness, trembles, and in severe cases, even seizures and loss of consciousness. Training dogs, known as diabetes alert dogs or diabetes assistance dogs, to detect blood sugar drops has been anecdotally […]

A family is warning pet owners about the danger of a popular craft project and decoration that caused the death of their dog, Lexi. While not supervised, two-and-a-half-year-old Lexi snuck downstairs in the home of Larry and Hope Pospisil and ate a salt ornament, which the couple had crafted with their young daughter. It featured […]

A narcotics detection dog with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department in Texas had to be put down this week after his terminal bone cancer had become too painful to bear. To honor the 9-year-old German Shepherd Dog, named Argo, the department honored him with a “Last Call,” a radio tribute given to officers who die […]

Yet another police dog has been shot and killed in the line of duty. Smith County Deputy Constable K-9 Ogar, a young Belgian Malinois, who worked with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in Texas was killed during a traffic stop on the afternoon of Jan. 19. Two individuals have been taken into custody, and a […]

This Oscar is no grouch. The 6-year-old Dachshund volunteers with his owner Robin Douglas as a therapy dog at several locations in Wisconsin. But in addition to his typical duties, snuggling with residents at Agrace Hospice Care, for instance, or visiting with students from a local college, he has a special gimmick—wearing festive costumes. Oscar […]

A 4-year-old police dog passed away Tuesday, June 28, while trying to protect his partner and other officers from an armed suspect during a SWAT call-out. Credo, a Belgian Malinois with the Long Beach Police Department in California, was struck by gunfire while trying to apprehend a suspect that had charged at officers, NBC reported. […]

For inmates at the Edmonton Institution for Women, a straight route back into society might be the hair of the dog. Starting this fall, women at the maximum-security correctional facility in Alberta, Canada, will get the opportunity to use their time behind bars to become certified dog groomers. The 12-week vocational-training program is designed for […]

Military and police dogs are trained in a variety of skills, from short-roping out of a helicopter to rappelling up a wall. But most commonly, they’re used for detection of hidden explosive devices or dangerous persons. (Read how one military dog saved his handler from a sniper attack in Vietnam.) Chopper, a Navy SEAL dog […]

After three long years, U.S. Army Specialist Vance McFarland finally has his war dog back. McFarland hadn't seen Ikar, the tactical explosive detection dog (TEDD) he deployed to Afghanistan with, since 2012. Until last week, when the pair was reunited. While deployed, Ikar and McFarland searched for roadside bombs and IEDs. “We had a dangerous […]

Many often think of microchips as a way of tracking down a pet owner when a dog or cat is found lost or as a stray. But they can also be used as evidence in pet-theft cases, which continue to be on the rise. That was the case for Robert Lucier, whose Cairn Terrier, Waffles, […]