I am Endy. This exceptional black Labrador, who is just over a year old, has completed the Fallen Officer Puppy Program at Support Dogs by Warren Retrievers (SDWR) to become a diabetic service dog.
Endy was named after deceased American police officer Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya, who died in 2016 after being hit head-on by a drunk driver in his patrol car, has now moved to Arizona to join his new family as Tyler’s companion. Tyler is 16 years old.
Tyler was identified as having Type 1 Diabetes when he was four years old, which results in an excessively high blood glucose level and makes him insulin-dependent.
He says, “It is a daily struggle to keep my blood sugar at a normal level. My family and I are constantly checking my blood and watching my activity.”
By warning them if Tyler’s blood sugar levels depart from a healthy range, Endy, according to Tyler’s family, will help Tyler better manage his blood sugar levels. More importantly, Endy will be Tyler’s constant friend.
Endy was taught to use his nose to identify blood sugar variations beyond his owner Tyler’s healthy range by volunteers in SDWR’s service dog raiser program to prepare him for life as a diabetes-alert dog.
Endy will be able to go everywhere with Tyler and his family, including to church and the grocery store because he is a service dog and protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Every few months for the following 18 months, SDWR will visit Tyler’s house to continue working on Endy’s individualized instruction, provide follow-up training, and assist Tyler in creating a successful team. At that moment, Tyler and Endy will receive a certification for public access.
Tyler can only receive this certification due to his consistent effort and commitment to the SDWR training program.
And this training course is what distinguishes SDWR from other charitable service dog organizations.
Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has been helping people with invisible disabilities like Autism, Seizure Disorders, PTSD, and Diabetes for more than 10 years.
Thousands of service dogs have been trained and assigned to people with disabilities, including both adults and children, all around the world.
