Jailed dog will sniff out diabetes

Pascoe has been sent to jail and he's only 12 months old. But far from being naughty, this cavalier king charles spaniel is in training to save lives. Inmates at Junee Prison are teaching Pascoe how to pick up changes in people's body odour or their breath so he can be a diabetic alert dog.

As soon as Pascoe learns to follow his nose - with sweet, fruity smells warning of high blood sugar levels or rusty, acidic smells indicating low blood sugar - he will be given to a family with a diabetic child to alert them to changes in glucose levels.



The Pups in Prison programme has been run by Assistance Dogs Australia and the NSW Department of Corrective Services for four years, but it's only the second time a dog has been trained to sniff diabetes.

"The prisoners take it very seriously," Junee Prison's manager Andy Walker said "It does boost morale. There are up to six dogs in the prison at the same time." Dogs sleep with prisoners and some are taught to assist the elderly by answering phones, fetching items and barking only at strangers.