A puppy born at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is set to become one of the few dogs in the world trained to detect a potentially fatal lung infection. Chilli, who was born in the charity's care, has passed all assessments needed to become a specialist medical detection dog.
Chilli will begin official training with Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) in the new year, learning to identify the odour of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), a lung infection that can be deadly for vulnerable patients. The two charities collaborated after Battersea contacted MDD about a litter of puppies, with Chilli quickly standing out for his confidence and strong-willed nature.
Over the past year, Chilli has lived with volunteer puppy socialisers and shown promise in early scent work. He passed his final assessment last week and will now join a team of dogs learning to detect Pa. A 2019 study found that Bio Detection Dogs can detect ultra-low concentrations of Pa with 94.2% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity.
Chris Allen, Head of Puppy Supply and Training at MDD, said: 'We are delighted that Chilli is now an official member of our Bio Detection team. He is full of personality, confidence and loves to use his nose.' A Battersea spokesperson added: 'Even as a tiny pup we knew that Chilli had something extra special about him.'
The training could lead to faster, non-invasive diagnosis for patients. Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People's Postcode Lottery, which funded the work, praised the collaboration for transforming lives for both people and animals.
