By Jordan Gerard

Mower County’s emergency management director has a furry friend in her office to help monitor her diabetes throughout the long work day.

Addie, a 7-month-old goldendoodle, notifies Amy Lammy when her blood sugar levels are low. Lammy was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in May 2015.

“It changed everything. From being completely free to depending on insulin for everything,” Lammy said. “I had to find a dog that fit my lifestyle. We did the paperwork for Addie to accompany me and then just brought her to work.”

Addie’s training is based on scent, Lammy said. She can detect low blood sugar levels before the monitor notifies her the levels already hit the low.

“Addie already knows when a low is coming and she paws, bugs or jumps on me to let me know she is detecting something,” Lammy said.

Addie is still in training and is working on socializing and alerting training.

“She has to be attentive to me and not her surroundings,” Lammy said.

Addie has been coming to work with Lammy to the office in Mower County Veterans Services in the Government Center for nearly two months. Lammy said they started her out a few hours at a time and now Addie can stay nearly the whole day.

“She gets bored like we do,” Lammy said. “She still watches the clock, but she loves to come here too.”

Addie also helps when Lammy is at home and doesn’t have to have her meter on her at all times when Addie is with.

Lammy has worked for Mower County for 18 years as their emergency management coordinator and safety director. Early this year, Lammy received the Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s Outstanding Emergency Management Coordinator Award for Minnesota and another award for Outstanding Commitment of Community Recovery. She helped coordinate an initiative to prepare for what would happen if an infectious animal disease was confirmed in the area.

She says the job can be high-stress at times, and Addie helps by being a second level if Lammy is busy or if she’s not paying attention and becomes hypoglycemic. She also detects when they’re at home or at a meeting.

Lammy said she read an article about diabetic alert dogs in the American Diabetes Association magazine. Diabetic alert dogs are recognized by the American Disabilities Act.