A TRAINEE Medical Detection puppy that was sponsored by residents in Lifton to be named after the village has been placed with a new family working as a diabetes alert dog, writes Sam Hughes.

'Lifton' is now living in Somerset as a diabetes alert dog for new owner Alison. He has integrated well into the family of two children, Poppy the dog, Tibbs the cat and the family's two rabbits.

Alison said: 'Lifton spends his days playing in the garden, watching TV, lying in front of the wood burner and being my shadow. He is full of energy and loves to play with his toys and bones. He has built up a great relationship with Poppy and they play together enthusiastically, both showing excitement and enjoyment.

'Lifton carries out his alert duties with enthusiasm and pride. He fetches my kit, watches me check my levels and gets very excited and drools thinking about the reward he may be getting. He came to me with amazing manners, incredible obedience and a loving personality. I can only but praise the dedication and persistence of the socialisers that helped mould Lifton into the exceptional dog he has turned out to be.

'Lifton is a happy, well balanced, cheeky dog who we all love very much and I think Lifton loves us too.'

Medical Detection dogs are trained in the early detection of cancer and other diseases through their sense of smell. With a diabetes alert dog the dog will alert the owner if their blood sugar is about to drop or rise suddenly or they are about to have an attack and will go to fetch their kit.

Villagers in Lifton raised enough money to sponsor the name of a trainee dog.

Tim Sutton-Woodhouse, a Lifton parish councillor and a volunteer for Medical Detection Dogs, spearheaded the idea to sponsor the name of the dog and receives regular updates as to how he is getting on.

He said: 'We're delighted with Lifton's placement. It's early days, but so far so good.

'It really is quite enthralling to hear how much difference a Medical Alert Dog makes to the individual, family and friends. Recipients have described the arrival of their dog as though a large weight has been lifted from their shoulders and that they can lead an effectively normal, less worrysome life.

'We will continue to support Medical Detection Dogs. We wish Lifton's family a wonderful New Year and many thanks to the residents of the Lifton village area. They can be very proud of what their support has achieved.'

For more information about Medical Detection dogs visit http://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk">www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk