North Haven Allergy-sniffing Dog a Hot Topic

We've all heard of bomb-sniffing dogs, drug-sniffing dogs...but what about allergy-sniffing dogs? Boo, a St. Bernard living with the Minicucci family of North Haven, is just that: a canine trained to sniff out peanut products and keep his owners away from them.

From the Associated Press article on the subject that ran today:

"The dog is just one way we can help our daughter have a more normal life," said Pam Minicucci of North Haven, whose 7-year-old daughter, Gianna, is constantly accompanied by her allergy-sniffing St. Bernard named Boo.

According to the article, allergy-sniffing dogs are increasing in popularity across the country, and for good reason: the dogs are often more astute at picking up potential threats than their owners. Again, from the AP:

In Gianna Minicucci's case, for instance, Boo once was so insistent on blocking her from walking down a non-food aisle in a big-box store that Gianna's mother questioned whether the dog was ill. When Pam Minicucci peered down below the shelves, she found the reason: a minuscule amount of peanut butter on a mouse trap far out of reach, but still close enough to potentially trigger Gianna's allergies.

Such vigilance comes at a price, however. Purchasing and training one such dog could run a family between $10,000 and $20,000.

Read the full story here.