Medical Detection Dogs - 2 July 2015

Village Link's talk on Medical Detection Dogs required extra chairs for the people who had come to find out more about this fascinating medical advance. Geoff Lambert, the speaker introduced us to Buddy, a retired medical dog and warned us that he would probably be checking our breath afterwards for sugar overload from the biscuits, that was if he didn't eat them first. We were amazed at how these dogs can be used. At present they are a major support for children with type 1 diabetes and also for people with narcolepsy. Mongrels are used and it costs £11,000 to train a dog. They are dedicated to the detection of human disease through canine olfaction. A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be 100,00 times more sensitive than a human's. They are trained by learning to recognise glasses of water and their contents but owners have also said that dogs are aware when they have illnesses such as cancer and work is continuing along these lines including bladder, bowel, prostate and breast. They are now legally allowed in schools and in Holland stand at hospital entrances to sniff out C Difficil. If the dog sits down you are a carrier! Other diseases recognised are Addison's and TB. If you would like to learn more visit their website or write to geofflambert2@ntlworld.com 


Our next meeting will probably be in October and the speaker will be Princes William and Harry's former Protection Officer.

Forced Marriage in Today's Britain - 19 February 2015

Judge Lindsay Davies gave a fascinating talk on Forced Marriage in Today's Britain. She drew on analogies with marriage customs in history and other countries. She also pointed out that forced marriage is not only found in certain ethnic communities, her first case being that of an Irish Catholic family.

Everyone is welcome to a talk on medical sniffer dogs at Rushden Village Hall on Thursday 2nd July at 8pm. Recent research has shown that these dogs can warn people of a need for medication or of undiagnosed illnesses. Soft drinks and refreshments will be provided afterwards or if in need of something stronger you are free to bring your own.

Please remember also that we look forward to your sharing your village news.