Lizzie the black Labrador has been earmarked for the epilepsy seizure alert programme at the Sheffield-based Support Dogs charity, which trains and provides assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability.
Still a trainee with the organisation, she has been matched with a 26-year-old woman.
Support Dogs is the only organisation in the UK to train epilepsy seizure alert dogs, teaching the wonderdogs to give a 100 per cent accurate alert up to an hour in advance of a seizure.
This enables the client to get to a place of safety and privacy to take control of their epileptic seizure.
The client currently lives a reclusive life due to her condition, so as well as being trained to alert, Lizzie is also getting used to various environments as part of her training.
Emily Harrison, a trainer with Support Dogs, said: “Lizzie needs to get used to going on buses and getting out and about and lots of different environments, as currently, the client doesn’t go anywhere due to her seizures.
“We asked her where she would like to go and she said ‘Anywhere, I’ve no idea’. This will give the client an even greater sense of freedom, alongside the safety aspect.”
Around 1,000 people with epilepsy die each year and research suggests that most of these deaths are sudden and unexpected. The warning provided by a seizure alert dog means that a client can remove themselves from any danger and have a seizure in a safe environment.
With the confidence that they will be alerted in advance of any seizure, Support Dogs clients can live more independently. Day-to-day tasks, including going to the shops, cooking, ironing and having a bath, which would previously have been hazardous, are now manageable on their own and in safety.
Lizzie has been training with Emily for four months and has passed her four-week assessment. Next will be her eight and 12-week assessments, before she is put into training with the client and then sent to live and work with her.
Describing the traits which make Lizzie perfect for the epilepsy seizure alert programme, Emily said: “She’s just a very busy dog in general – she loves working all the time, which works really well for the programme, because she never switches off.
“She’s ridiculously confident – nothing fazes her, which is a big thing for the seizure dogs as it can be quite scary to witness a seizure.
“She’s really focused on her handler, which is ideal, as she needs to be constantly with the client – it’s no good if the dog is in another room ahead of a potential seizure.”
Emily said she was excited for her charge’s future on the programme, describing her as a “little rocket” who “does everything full throttle all the time”.
When not in training, Lizzie lives with a volunteer doggy foster carer couple in Sheffield, and she loves a game of tug, while her favourite treat is squeezy cheese.
To find out more about Support Dogs and its epilepsy seizure alert programme, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk/epilepsy or call 0114 2617800.