Hi Cathryn. My apologies. It was meant as a come back for the post you made as there was suppose to be a link there. I was sure I posted the link, but apparently I didn’t so to be on the safe side I’m going to do it this way. Take Care…Don in creepy town

Support Dogs trains three specific categories of canine assistant. Apart from the assistance dog for the physically disabled there is the "seizure alert" category for those with epilepsy and agoraphobia, and "medical assistance" dogs that can take care of diabetics and those suffering from Meniere's disease (a middle-ear problem causing dizziness, vomiting and eventual deafness). Samy and Star both take care of epileptics. Samy, a five-year-old Schnauzer, has enabled Jacqueline Evans, aged 45 and a chronic epileptic, to take control of her life again. The dog detects the microscopic twitches of Jacqueline's eyes and nervous movements of hands and arms 20 minutes prior to a blackout. Samy warns his mistress by howling, barking, getting her medication and creating a fuss until she takes it.

Another long-term epileptic, Sally Burton, claims that her life has been changed 100 per cent since she got Star, a one-year-old crossbreed. "I don't have to worry about getting a seizure," she said. "I don't know what Star picks up on but she begins barking, pulling my clothes and makes me take action. I really couldn't be without her now and I love her to bits." Val Strong founded Support Dogs in 1992. She had always enjoyed tutoring pets at her dog club, advising owners on obedience training. Asked to teach two dogs to carry out domestic tasks for their disabled owners led to the establishment of the charity.

When an epileptic asked if an animal could be trained to fetch blankets when she was having a seizure, Ms Strong realised during the indoctrination period that the dog was intuitive about a potential attack long before it occurred.

"I did work in medical science before I became interested in dogs and horses," said Ms Strong. "Certain dogs appear to be aware of neurological changes in their owners up to 40 minutes before any seizure or ailment occurs. Since I trained dogs to help epileptics we have extended our training scheme to include dogs for diabetics and more recently one for a patient suffering from Meniere's disease. We now train 25 dogs a year to respond to patients suffering from a range of disabilities. And, of course, the owner of each animal has to undergo a training period of around three to four months," she added.

• Dogs Working With Epileptics