THE Lions Club of Leeton is a supporter of many projects and programs.
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Australian Lions Hearing Dogs have been training Hearing Assistance Dogs for 40 years.
With the planned expansion of their training headquarters in Verdun, they will have the capacity to train a greater number of dogs each year and help another Australian demographic in need.
In Australia, over 120,000 people struggle with type one diabetes, and each year 580 Australians die from the disease, many under the age of 18. Diabetic alert dogs have the potential to save the lives of children and adults with type one diabetes and drastically improve their quality of life.
The program is in the early stages of development , however we expect the first dog to be available by the start of 2022.
Diabetic alert dogs are trained to alert their owner by touching them with one paw when their blood glucose level is outside a specific target range, which will then prompt them to check their level and treat accordingly.
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The dogs will be trained to do some other helpful tasks such as retrieving a kit to help treat a low blood glucose event, sitting next to their owner and barking if they fall unconscious and need help when out in public and pressing a button to call emergency services if their owner falls unconscious when they are home alone.
As with hearing dogs the diabetic alert dogs have public access rights and can accompany their owner into shops and on public transport, therefore the dogs must exhibit appropriate behaviour in such places.
They will be trained to alert their owner to changes in blood glucose levels in any situation and environment.
Lions Clubs International have adopted "Lions fight diabetes" as an international project.
Diabetes awareness activities are held in countries where Lions clubs are represented.
In Australia, Lions conduct an annual promotion called "lap the map for diabetes" and is usually held in November each year.
