Psyched about Peppy Puppas!
By Kerron Thomson | Posted: Tuesday April 12, 2022
Today we were fortunate to be visited by Pauline and Lynette from K9MD. K9MD is a charitable trust whose aim is to train dogs for non-invasive medical detection, specifically cancer, right here in little old Dunedin.
They have made headlines recently after passing a major trial milestone with 98% accuracy. The potential advantages are the speed at which results can be obtained and the detection of cancer cells very early on, leading to better outcomes for patients.
In the midst of training the dogs for detection, Pauline is aiming to set up an education program to increase awareness of the abilities of dogs and to fit in with a variety of contexts for schools. The first step is to train the dogs to enter a school and become comfortable in a noisy classroom. Pari Teli and Sarah Al-Balushi enthusiastically accompanied the dogs as they moved around the school and visited a couple of classes. It would be fair to say, not a lot of learning was achieved while they visited. However, it was a unique opportunity and important to be aware of the world-class scientific achievements going on in our own backyard!
If you would like to know more about this charity, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. https://www.k9md.org.nz/
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