Service puppy goes missing
Owner suspects abduction of dog being trained to give early warning of her seizures.
By ELIZABETH BROTHERTON
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Laguna Hills resident Brandi Loudon needs help finding her missing puppy, Odin.
Not just because she misses him (although she certainly does), but rather because he was in training to become her right-hand man.
Loudon, 31, has seizures. And Odin, her 13-week-old Belgian Tervuren puppy, with fuzzy red fur, was learning to literally sniff out the warning signs of Loudon's seizures. With the early warning, Loudon said, she is able to find a safe place, minimizing the bumps and bruises seizures bring.
It's not such a rare trick.
Swedish Medical Center in Seattle says there is emerging evidence suggesting dogs can sense a chemical released by humans prior to seizures. The hospital cautions that there's been little research into the practice.
But Loudon, a former veterinary technician, has some practice. She says she's taught her older dog, Thor, a mutt, to bark in a slightly higher-than-usual pitch prior to her seizures.
Odin was being groomed to step in for Thor.
"He (Odin) was perfect," Loudon said.
Loudon believes someone stole Odin from her yard Aug. 8. Odin was attached to a metal leash in the yard when Loudon left him alone to answer the phone. When she returned, Odin was gone and, Loudon said, she heard tires screeching in the distance.
Loudon had trained Odin to follow basic commands such as sit and stay, and– using blood samples and techniques for training police dogs – was starting to teach him how to sense an oncoming seizure.
Thor already has been through such training, and he's almost always able to tell Loudon when she's going to have a seizure. The only exception is when she is in the shower or gets out of the pool, Loudon said.
"There's no medical equipment in the world that can do that."
That early detection has helped Loudon get the seizures under control.
"He gave me enough warnings where I could trace back the triggers," she said.
Thor also makes sure Loudon stays safe when she has a seizure by keeping her on the ground until it ends, she said.
"That's what I was going to do with little Odin," Loudon said.
Belgian Tervurens, squatish dogs that grow to about 60 pounds, are friendly but require careful training, said Denise Fenzi, Odin's breeder. Fenzi sold Odin knowing Loudon could care for him, she said.
"She waited a year to get this puppy, and it was kind of specially picked out for her," Fenzi said.
Loudon said she contacts animal shelters every day and is offering a reward for Odin's safe return.
"He's very missed, and not only missed, but needed," she said. "He has something to do. He's not just a pet."
If you have information about Loudon's missing dog, contact her via e-mail at
all.animals@cox.net.