Freedom
Independence
Peace of Mind
Love at First Sight, Alerts the First Night Angie Dick and Diabetes Assist Dog Bubba Matchmakers around the world might get a little jealous when they hear about Angie Dick and her Can Do Canines Diabetes Assist Dog, Bubba. “The day he arrived, I fell in love immediately, and I like to think he did, too!” remarks Angie, who lives and works in Sioux Falls, SD. “I love everything about him. I don’t think I could’ve found a better match.” What could possibly spark such instant affection for a two-year-old, 12-pound, black Schipperke? For starters, Bubba more than makes up for his diminutive size with a huge personality and seemingly endless supply of energy. “He’s so much fun! His high energy level helps keep me active, which is good for my diabetes and for my rheumatoid arthritis.” In the several months they’ve been together, Bubba has returned Angie’s love many times over. As a Diabetes Assist Dog, he’s also given her peace of mind, as well as confidence to lead an active life, which includes working fulltime at Citibank,
attending Stampede hockey games and volunteering for a local Special Olympics team. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17, Angie has experienced many episodes of low blood sugar, and usually she’s not aware it’s happening. The worst spells left her with terrible headaches for two or three days afterward, resulting in missed time at work. But that wasn’t even the worst part. “One of my biggest fears was having a low blood sugar seizure while driving and getting into an accident. Hurting myself would be bad enough. But what if I hurt someone else?” Bubba’s training enables him to alert Angie when her blood sugar starts to drop. Amazingly, he alerted her the very first night they were together. “He woke me up around 3 a.m. by licking me and pawing at me because I was low. We had practiced ‘get the gel’ (oral glucose gel) only a few times, but he got it for me that first night. Eventually, I was with it enough to have a little ‘Bubba is awesome’ party!”
by Bill Johnson
Since then, Bubba has alerted Angie countless times in a variety of places and situations, such as at work, at hockey games, while riding in a shopping cart at Walmart (on Black Friday, no less!), at the dog park — anywhere and everywhere her life takes her. Normally, Bubba alerts Angie by jumping. “He jumps three or four times in front of me going about three feet high, approximately at my waist level. I refer to it as ‘boinging.’ When people see it for the first time, they think it’s hilarious. I have to explain to them what he’s doing.” During a Stampede hockey game, Bubba crawled out from under Angie’s seat to alert her. But there wasn’t enough room for jumping, so he crawled up into her lap and started whining and licking her face. “I call that thinking on his paws,” she laughs. “He had to figure out a different way to get his point across.” Angie gratefully considers Bubba’s journey to her and all the people who made it possible. To everyone involved in Bubba’s training, she says, “I don’t think I could thank you enough — but absolutely thank you. Without your training and getting him to this point, I wouldn’t have the peace of mind or joy that I get from him every day.” Her deep appreciation extends to Can Do Canines’ financial donors, too. “Your contributions are what make this all possible. With medical expenses from two chronic conditions, there’s no way I could afford to pay thousands of dollars for an assistance dog.” We Thank Those Who Made This Placement Possible: c Puppy Raiser – Laura & Adam Waudby c Field Trainer – David Crawford c Dog Source – Cinda Waller
Angie Dick and Diabetes Assist Dog Bubba
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Can Do Canines