Medical Alert Dogs

Every day starts with confidence when you have an early warning system you can trust. PAWS medical alert dogs are individually trained to detect specific medical conditions before symptoms occur, giving handlers crucial time to respond.

Find Peace of Mind

PAWS medical alert dogs become your personal early warning system, detecting dangerous health changes before you even feel symptoms. Living with type 1 diabetes or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) means uncertainty, but your medical alert dog transforms that unpredictability into confidence, knowing you have a vigilant partner monitoring your well-being around the clock.

PAWS medical alert dogs are ideal for individuals who experience frequent or unpredictable changes in blood sugar or heart rate that interfere with daily activities or personal safety.

What your medical alert dog can do for you:

Alert you to changes in your blood sugar or heart rate—often before symptoms are even noticeable
Retrieve essential items
Provide bracing after a fall
Perform other tasks that support your safety and independence

Do you qualify for a medical alert dog?

To be eligible for a PAWS medical alert dog, an individual must:

Diabetic Alert:

Be a type 1 diabetic
Have a minimum two occurrences of low blood sugar a month that they are unaware of
Have a maximum of five daily alerts
Be 18 years or older
Must mail PAWS samples of low states for training
If the dog is also trained for seizure tasks, an individual must have a minimum of one epileptic seizure per month
If the dog is also trained for hearing tasks, an individual must have a minimum of moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss
Be physically and cognitively capable of independently completing in-home and public access training

Be able to independently command and handle their assistance dog
Be able to meet the emotional, physical, and financial needs of their assistance dog
Be in a stable home environment
Actively improve their quality of life and pursue independence with their assistance dog
Have no other dog in the home (other pets are permitted)
Live in an area serviced by a PAWS field representative (determined upon application)

POTS Alert:

Minimum of two episodes a month
Maximum of five episodes a day
Be 18 years or older
Must ship to PAWS samples taken during POTS episode for training
If the dog is also trained for seizure tasks, an individual must have a minimum of one seizure per month
If the dog is also trained for hearing tasks, an individual must have a minimum of moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss
Be physically and cognitively capable of independently completing in-home and public access training

Be able to independently command and handle their assistance dog
Be able to meet the emotional, physical and financial needs of their assistance dog
Be in a stable home environment
Actively improve their quality of life and pursue independence with their assistance dog
Have no other dog in the home (other pets are permitted)
Live in an area serviced by a PAWS field representative

Client Stories

The Power of Partnership: Maureen and REGGIE’s Life-Changing Bond

“To me, REGGIE has been the greatest and best in the whole world. He has enhanced every part of my life.”

Confidence, Comfort, and a Raft in the Pool: Kade and STERLING’s PAWS Journey

“Kade is more confident in himself. He feels more independent, even in areas we weren’t expecting.”

Lifeline on Four Legs: Kimberly and WAGS’ Journey of Independence

“She’s a hundred times better than a lifeline button. She’s always watching, always working. My four-legged coworker of the year.”

Have questions?

Get the answers you need to take the next step. Our comprehensive FAQ page addresses common questions about service dogs, the application process, and how we support you from start to finish.