Boo and Riley are more than affectionate, protective family pets. To their owners, the trained dogs are a furry layer of security to sniff out peanut products and other life-threatening allergens.
The dogs' Connecticut owners are among many people nationwide turning to allergy-sniffing service dogs.
As the dogs' popularity grows, though, some owners are having mixed success in persuading businesses, schools and other public venues to accept the dogs as service animals, just as they do dogs whose handlers' disabilities are more readily apparent.
Allergen-sniffing dogs were specifically recognized as medical service dogs in recent updates to the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, but some parents are lobbying local and state officials to update their regulations, too.
"The dog is just one way we can help our daughter have a more normal life," said Pam Minicucci of North Haven, Conn., whose daughter, Gianna, 7, is constantly accompanied by Boo, her allergen-sniffing St. Bernard.
Gianna's allergy to peanut products, tree nuts and their residue in the air or on surfaces is so severe that even minuscule particles can trigger hives, itching and difficulty breathing that has sent her to the hospital. She carries an inhaler, wipes, Benadryl and EpiPen injectors everywhere in case she encounters anything to which she's allergic.
She and Boo get mixed reactions, even though the dog wears a vest identifying it as a service animal.
"Our goal is for the dog to be with her everywhere she goes," Gianna's mother said. "I don't expect people to change their world for us, but I do expect them to allow us to protect our child in the way we need to."
State and federal agencies do not track the number of allergy-specific service dogs, but handlers and trainers say they have been fielding more inquiries and orders in recent years. They attribute it to a growing awareness of the dogs and an increase in peanut allergies.
What they do
Depending on the trainer and dog, the animals can cost $10,000 to $20,000, including training them to sniff out particular allergens and alert the handler with a signal. Often, that means abruptly sitting in place, putting their own bodies between the allergic person and the allergen.
Owners tell of almost-daily incidents in which the dogs found something that their young handlers never would have noticed.
Boo once was so insistent on blocking Gianna Minicucci from walking down an aisle that Gianna's mother questioned whether the dog was ill. When Pam Minicucci peered down below the shelves, she found the reason: a dab of peanut butter on a mouse trap far out of reach, but still close enough to potentially trigger Gianna's allergies.
Training for allergen-sniffing dogs is similar to that of police dogs learning to track scents or dogs that sniff out explosives for the military, which inspired Monument, Colo., trainer Sherry Mers to work in the field after seeing a TV show on bomb-sniffing dogs. She launched Angel Service Dogs after getting a trained dog to help her daughter, Riley, 10, avoid peanut products and residue from cross-contamination.
"It's about making sure your kid can exist in a world today so they don't have a disability," she said. "The reaction seems to be extremes: Either people are so accommodating they can't help but help you more, or they immediately go to this place of feeling that I'm violating their rights by trying to protect my child."
In Indianapolis, a woman with a potentially life-threatening allergy to paprika got a trained dog to sniff out the substance. When she took the dog to work, though, a co-worker who was allergic to dogs had an asthma attack.
The dog's owner filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after she was asked to leave the animal at home or take unpaid leave. The case is pending.
In other cases, though, the dogs have been welcomed.
In Ansonia, Conn., school officials have been so accommodating of 13-year-old Jeff Glazer's dog, Riley, that they installed HEPA air filters to ensure the yellow Lab's presence wouldn't cause problems for children allergic to dogs.
"Now that I have Riley, I can go to restaurants and movies and my friends' houses and not have to worry about it," Jeff said, getting ready to stretch before a game with his traveling baseball team.
Sniffer on the case
Before Jeff enters the dugout or touches the gear, though, Riley sniffs everything for residue from previous players who might have eaten peanut butter sandwiches, candy or other items. If Riley finds something, they use sanitary hand wipes - which Jeff and his family carry - to clean the surface thoroughly so he's not endangered.
Other than Riley's red service dog vest, he looks like any other pet accompanying his young owner - exactly the kind of normalcy that once seemed out of reach.
"Riley really has changed his life. It's not a perfect world, it's not a perfect solution - we also have to use our heads and be aware of what's going on," said Jeff's mother, Lisa Glazer. "We still read labels, we still ask questions, we still go through the whole thing at restaurants, but Riley is our safety net."
