20
LIVING
A dog's life
A talk with founder and CEO of Hypo Hounds, Jane
Pearman about her inspiration and intentions on
running this dedicated doggy charity. By Sue Marshall.
I
visited the Kent-based
headquarters* of the charity
Hypo Hounds early in January
2024. It's the second dedicated
charity trainer dogs to detect blood
glucose highs and lows that I have
had the pleasure to go to and meet,
having run another interview in the
February 2017 issue of this magazine.
This charity's calling is more niche,
as it's mainly focused on assisting
children with Type 1 diabetes, as they
are less able to communicate their
experience and having a dog on hand
to sniff them out is a huge relief, both
to them and their parents or carers.
And this niche is due to the
founder's own experience as the
mother of a child diagnosed with
Type 1 diabetes. Her daughter Sophie
diagnosed at the age of nine and she's
21 now. The health and welfare of
the dogs is paramount - if they are
not in top condition, they can't do
their job. So, after 10 years watching
over Sophie, hypo hound Scooby is
retiring and Dori will replace him. As
a result, Pearman says, "Sophie feels
both independent and safe."
Best friend
In a recent social media by Pearman,
she expresses how wonderful it's
been to have Scooby ('Scoob') on
the scene - and on the job. She said,
"Many know me as the founder of
the diabetic-alert assistance dog
charity, Hypo Hounds. I am a very
proud mum of a Type 1 diabetic.
Diagnosed at the age of nine, I admit
to being overwhelmed, overworked
and paranoid when looking after her.
The scary stories of children dying
in their sleep simply petrified me
and led me to be up all night. I was
exhausted, it affected everything
from work to relationships, my
health, along with impacting on my
son too. I owe this dog more than
I can ever give him, he has given
me my child back, and my life back.
Because of him there are now more
children with diabetes out there
with a best friend. Scoob, you are a
superstar."
While I was visiting, another
group of people was there who had
raised funds and gave the charity a
donation. There were seven women
there from The Order of Women's
Freemasons, Gravesend, one of
whom had Type 1 diabetes. Already
in her 70s, she's had Type 1 diabetes
for 13 years, so arrived relatively
late to this particular game. She was
on a sensor but said that she was
'not particularly stable', but that her
friends with her on that day now
know when she was going low by her
showing certain signs, like shaking
or failing to finish a sentence, losing
track of what she was saying. They
know how, and when, to tell her to
eat something.
As part of the morning's schedule,
there was a demonstration showing
how the dogs pick up the scent of
a hypo. Pearman's career had been
with the police at the time of her
daughter's diagnosis. There on the
© Jamie Morgan www.hounddogphotography.co.uk
Jane Pearman, daughter Sophie and dog Scoob.