The other night we were out and saw a guide dog in training. He was an adorable, young yellow lab, and the owner/trainer graciously let us pet him after we spoke to her about him. She thanked us for asking to pet before we did, but said how it was good for his training. As a dog lover, it always warms my heart to see guide or assist dogs whether in training or on the job. That’s why coming across a bit of news the other day warmed my heart, too.

In a Foxnews story, I read about medical service dogs who have the training to use their acute noses to detect peanut products, tree nuts or other allergens. Because there are more and more kids with food allergies, and we are seeing how severe these allergies can be, having these dogs part of keeping those with allergies safe is an incredible tool. In this story, a boy with a severe allergy to peanuts is featured and his peanut sniffing dog can enter a baseball park and sniff out any dangerous residue or peanut product.

If you think about all of the places residue can be, it’s quite scary. Think about children in grocery carts eating peanut butter crackers who may have their hands on the carts. Someone who touched an elevator button or stair handrail after eating peanut products – the residue can be there. Anywhere.

In this story, a boy is featured who is deathly allergic to peanuts and cannot even be near them, much less touch any residue. His dog can sniff out any area where he will go, including rooms and furniture or equipment he may touch. The boy, who is 11, already elbow bumps instead of shaking hands and does not open any doors himself to avoid any possible contaminants.

With a dog, he can lead a much more normal life. Before, his mother could rarely even leave him alone and he stayed home most of the first eight years of his life. But now he can go most any place along as his dog is with him. His dog, Remy, can even sniff a plate of food in a restaurant to check for any peanut traces, and he doesn’t even drool or try to nab any food!

These dogs do not come cheap, however. They cost around $10,000 and many don’t believe they are much more than a gimmick. However, for those who have the dogs, they can attest to the freedom it gives them to carry on a much more normal life. Rather than live in fear of coming upon something deadly to them, they can trust that their canine companion can offer his instinct, training and acute sniffer to detect any danger. Many people start fundraisers along the lines of allergy awareness to raise money to have one of these dogs.

Allergy sniffing dogs have been featured in the news on prominent channels such as FOXNews and NBC Nightly News. If interested in learning more about peanut sniffing dogs, look to Angel service dogs. This organization’s mission is to support the “acquisition, training, and placement of highly trained Allergy Alert Dogs for sufferers of life-threatening allergies” as well as offer education to groups including churches and civic organizations to help them create safe environments for those with severe allergies.

Not only are these dogs helpful to kids with severe allergies, but also adults. Service dogs are protected by the American with Disabilities Act and can go anywhere where the public is served, including restaurants, hotels, theaters, sports facilities, libraries, museums and all forms of transportation.