Meet Rooney

Rooney is a sweet and sensitive chocolate Labrador being trained in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and who is the first puppy in MD Dogs Diabetic Alert Dog pilot program. Rooney began her training in August of 2020 and is learning to be a Diabetic Alert Dog with the help of MD Dogs Associate Trainer, Amira. By the end of her training Rooney will be alerting to low and high glucose levels which will be a lifesaving skill for someone in need, regardless of their financial situation. 
Rooney's Fundraising Goal: $18,265 
Please consider helping us reach our goal by donating or helping us fundraise today! Thank you!
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
This program is an M.D. Dogs dual purpose pilot program to help train a trainer and train a Diabetic Alert Dog. This program works with individuals passionate about Service Dog training, and over the course of 18-24 months teaches them to train an 8 week old puppy to become a Diabetic Alert Dog over the course of 18-24 months. At the conclusion of the program, if the dog has successfully passed graduation criteria, the Diabetic Alert Dog will be provided to an individual in need. The goal of this program is to teach additional Diabetic Alert Dog trainers and provide a fully trained Diabetic Alert Dog to an individual, regardless of their financial situation. 

WHY ARE WE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT?
  • 1.25 million people have type 1 diabetes in the U.S. alone
  • Over 2/3 of type 1's don't remain within their goal glucose ranges, putting both their immediate and longterm health at risk
  • Individuals with type 1 diabetes are at a significantly greater risk for mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders due to the struggles they face each day. 
Diabetic Alert Dogs can help. The dogs' physical alerts keep individuals in a healthy glucose range more often, and their physical presences provides emotional assistance every minute of the day.

HOW MUCH DOES A DIABETIC ALERT DOG COST?
Total Cost: $18,265

The image above shows the breakdown of expenses required for Rooney's training to become a fully trained, healthy Service Dog for an individual with type 1 diabetes.

MD Dogs' goal is to provide a Diabetic Alert Dog with minimal to zero fundraising requirements for the family. However, in addition to requiring 24/7 attention from our Associate Trainer, raising and training a lifesaving canine is financially expensive as well. Our specific estimates show that Rooney and the continuation of this program past the pilot program phase will cost approximately $18,265. By fundraising throughout Rooney's training, our goal is to cover as many of Rooney's expenses as possible so her future family doesn't have to. The goal is for this program to become self sustaining to provide future Diabetic Alert Dogs for more individuals in need, as well as opportunities for future Diabetic Alert Dog trainers. Any gift designated for Rooney will go directly to this pilot program and Rooney's expenses for her future family.

HOW CAN YOU HELP TODAY?
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DONATE TO 
​ROONEY

​Any amount of support helps! From $5 to $5,000, every dollar given is a dollar Rooney's future family doesn't have to worry over or fundraise for.

SPONSOR
​ROONEY

Support Rooney by the month! One month of Rooney's training costs $834 and sponsors fund as many months as they would like, receiving updates on her training throughout. 

PARTNER WITH
​ROONEY

​Corporate partnerships are available and partners will be recognized in various ways such as social media posts, mentions on the website, and even being mentioned on Rooney's vest! 
A Service Dog is an animal and is not intended to replace any medical care or device(s) provided by medical professionals. A diabetic alert service dog is never 100% accurate and should never replace regular blood glucose level checking.
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