This clever dog was training to detect serious illnesses and saved lives.
Having been inseparable for a year, Flo Lewis and Labrador Ernie will have to separate when the dog completes the training period. He is trained to detect serious illnesses and will soon join his new family. A noble mission that a young woman proudly carries out.
Flo Lewis shares her experience as a foster mother for medical dogs on the UK’s Metro website. She dreamed of a four-legged companion since childhood and after the death of her beloved Labrador Retriever in 2015.
A few weeks ago, she saw an ad on Facebook. The Medical Scout Dog Association has been looking for foster homes in Essex and Suffolk for the detection dogs (cancer, type 1 diabetes, Covid-19…) it trains.
Lewis applied, as did about 20 other candidates in the region.
She answered the questionnaire specifically about her lifestyle and her interest in dog training.
The next step was a remote interview, followed by a visit to the home of the regional head of the association. A few days later, the Medical Detection Service called Flo Lewis back and said the puppy was trustworthy.
Ernie’s busy schedule
This is how a young woman welcomed Ernie, a labrador in a sandy dress, to her home in July 2020. At that time he was 8 weeks old.
Since then, Flo Lewis has worked to strengthen her education and prepare for the family life she will lead with the sick person she will turn to every day.
