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SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — Dabo Swinney isn't the only one preparing to face a serious opponent; another Dabo is training to take on a disease affecting millions.
Dabo the dog is a 1-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever training to become a diabetic alert dog. These dogs alert their diabetic handlers of impending high or low blood sugar.
Diabetics suffering from hypo- or hyperglycemia emit an odor that is detectable to dogs.
The training takes two years and Dabo is halfway done.
His prospective handler, Callie Baldwin, who has had type 1 diabetes for 27 years, said she has had a few close calls with her blood sugar.
"The lows can kill you almost immediately if you don't get to them, and the highs can do long-term damage, so we were figuring out a way to prevent all that," Baldwin said.
She and Dabo will travel together when they become a team.
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Uplifting
Read more stories that aim to uplift and highlight the good in the world in KSL.com's Uplifting section.The dog earned his name from his main trainer in Alabama. The trainer has always been a fan of Dabo Swinney, Clemson head coach and University of Alabama alum.
Baldwin is also a fan of Swinney and said his canine namesake has gained a huge following in the Upstate. The two Dabos even met and Baldwin said Swinney loves Dabo the dog.
"The coach was very interested in what Dabo did," Baldwin said. "He had some dogs named after him before, he said, but never one that saved lives, so they were fast friends."
Baldwin started an Instagram page for Dabo the dog, which has garnered more than 1,200 followers. She also started a page where bracelets for sale go to fund Dabo's training.
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