Natural born LIFE SAVERS

The inspiring diary of puppies Tala and Nel as they learn to harness their unique ability to sniff out diseases from cancer to Parkinson’s

THERE was frost on the ground when Lily the Labrador delivered three female dogs and three males in January. Owner Amanda Allfrey knew she would have no trouble finding loving homes for them. Yet two — a dog called Tala and a bitch called Nel — have been selected to join the elite Medical Detection Dogs trained to carry out potentially life-saving work. The charity trains dogs to detect the odour of human disease. Some sniff out cancer and Parkinson’s. Others become medical alert assistance dogs, trained to detect minute changes in their owners’ odour triggered by conditions such as diabetes. TOM RAWSTORNE followed Tala and Nel through their first eight months …