This golden retriever is a lifesaver because she can detect whether an item has come in contact with peanuts for her owner, who has a severe allergy.
Natalie Rice, 45, discovered her daughter had a life-threatening allergy about ten years ago after feeding her a small spoonful of peanut butter.
Her then 4-year-old daughter, whose name is withheld, became red and itchy.
A visit to the pediatrician confirmed that the young girl had a severe peanut allergy. To stay safe, Natalie’s daughter must avoid all products that contain peanuts, even the trace amounts that come from cross-contact.
When Natalie’s daughter reached the second grade, the girl started getting bullied for her peanut allergy and the precautions she had to take. To boost her daughter’s mood, Natalie looked into getting an allergen-detection dog.
In 2018, she contacted a trainer who found Harley — a three-month-old golden retriever pup. The puppy seemed like a perfect fit for a detection dog because of her motivation and drive to learn.
After a year of training, Harley came home to Natalie and her family, ready to sniff out peanuts to protect the 14-year-old.
Natalie, who lives in southern California, told SWNS that Harley’s presence gives her daughter freedom like never before.
“Before Harley, we were always wondering if food was safe or if people were taking food allergies seriously,” Natalie said.
“My daughter missed out on so much because we weren’t sure if things were safe to eat — being able to do things outside of our home was very difficult,” the mother added.
Dogs have up to 100 million scent receptors in their noses and can detect some smells in part per trillion, allowing them to detect a complexity in odors. The American Kennel Club explains that while humans may smell chocolate chip cookies, dogs can smell the chocolate chips, flour, eggs, and other ingredients.
This ability allows Harley to detect peanuts in food — the golden retriever can smell ingredients individually, so she can pick up the scent, whether peanuts are in the food or have had cross-contact.
Harley checks every restaurant and takeout meal, all baked goods, any new foods, and any food with unclear labeling.
“Now she has an added layer of protection and the confidence to eat out,” Natalie said of one of the many ways Harley has changed her daughter’s life.
According to the mom, Harley had a big save during the pandemic after the family “ordered dinner from a restaurant we have visited often, and who knows about the allergy.”
“But Harley alerted us to a pasta dish and was very stubborn about it,” Natalie said. “We set it aside and called the restaurant, who later explained that it was actually a Thai noodle dish that had peanuts in it.”
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While Harley is always on hand to help Natalie’s daughter, the golden retriever gets lots of time to enjoy being a dog. Natalie’s other golden retriever, “a big, cuddly teddy bear” named Joey, helps Harley with that.
Natalie Rice / SWNS (2)
Harley will eventually retire and become a full-time house pet when she signals she is done with her detection work. When she begins to slow down, Natalie will start finding a new dog to train.
For now, however, Harley remains happy and enthusiastic about her job and enjoys each detection.
Natalie beganposting videos of Harley on Instagram (@detectiveharleyfadd)during the pandemic to raise awareness about the dangers of food allergies and cross-contact. Online the dog is known as Detective Harley, F.A.D.D. (Food Allergy Detection Dog) and she also shares content on her website,www.detectiveharleyfadd.com, to educate people and empower children with food allergies.
“Food allergies are not a choice, and they are not a joke,” Natalie said.
“While the world will never be free of food allergens, education and understanding are key to making the world a safer place,” she added.
source: people.com
