Medical alert dogs Kenny and Winnie help owners with life-threatening conditions
Medical alert dogs Kenny and Winnie detect changes in their owners' bodies, allowing them to manage fainting and allergic reactions and live more independently.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Medical detection dogs are trained to alert their owners to changes in their bodies that can signal a medical emergency. Two such dogs, Kenny and Winnie, have transformed the lives of their owners, giving them independence and safety.
Kenny belongs to Kate Hegan from Shepton Mallet, who has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). MCAS can cause severe allergic reactions, while POTS leads to fainting multiple times a day. Before Kenny, Kate was chaperoned 24 hours a day and could not be left alone. Kenny alerts her when she is about to pass out, giving her time to get to a safe place. He has alerted to about 40 anaphylactic episodes in a year, and on one occasion, his warning allowed Kate to use her EpiPen and call an ambulance before her throat closed. The medical team told her that without Kenny, she would not have made it.
Winnie is a five-year-old poodle cross owned by May, who has an autoimmune condition that causes her to faint up to 15 times a day. May receives a treatment that replaces plasma containing bad antibodies, which has reduced her episodes to five to eight a day. Winnie was trained by Medical Detection Dogs to detect changes in May's body odour and taps her with her paw to warn her about five minutes before she faints. Winnie has also started tapping staff at the NHS blood and transplant unit where May receives treatment, alerting them to changes in May's blood pressure.
Both dogs use their incredible sense of smell. Dogs have 300 million scent receptors in their noses, compared to 5 million in humans. They can detect a teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools. The dogs are trained to associate a change in odour with a reward, and they alert their owners when that change occurs.
Medical Detection Dogs is a charity that trains these dogs and matches them with clients. They are expanding their work, including in the Bristol area, where they are looking for volunteers to help socialise puppies and transport dogs and clients. For Kate, Kenny has given her a future. As she says, 'With Kenny, it's just completely changed my life.'
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Kate has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. | · | |
| Kenny alerts to changes in body odour that signal an impending medical episode. | · | |
| Kenny has alerted to about 40 anaphylactic episodes in a year. | · | |
| May has an autoimmune condition that causes fainting up to 15 times a day. | · | |
| Winnie has alerted staff at the NHS blood and transplant unit. | · | |
| Winnie is a five-year-old poodle cross. | · | |
| Winnie taps May with her paw to warn her about five minutes before a fainting episode. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 focused on Kenny and Kate's story, highlighting the life-saving nature of the dog's alerts and the specific medical conditions involved. The report included an interview with a charity representative, Georgie Lloyd, who explained the science behind the dogs' abilities and promoted the charity's expansion in the Bristol area. The tone was emotional and celebratory, emphasising the transformation in Kate's independence.
- “With Kenny, it's just completely changed my life.”
- “He's alerted to about 40 anaphylactic episodes since then in about a year and each one is a life-saving moment”
- “Without him, I would still be the girl who spent 90% of her time in bed with no ambitions, nothing to do, feeling lonely, really upset and just wrapped in bubble wrap, really.”
5 News presented Winnie as a 'hero of the week', focusing on the bond between Winnie and her owner May. The segment highlighted May's medical treatment and how Winnie's alerts have reduced her fainting episodes. It also noted Winnie's unexpected alerts for hospital staff, adding a heartwarming and community-focused angle. The tone was uplifting and personal, with a strong emphasis on the dog's role in May's daily life.
- “Winnie is my absolute world She's totally changed my life”
- “She has a really excellent sense of smell and so she smells something that changes in my body”
- “Making Winnie a top dog”
Broadcast Timeline
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