Queen Camilla hosted a notable reception at Clarence House in London, United Kingdom, commemorating the 15th anniversary of one of her esteemed patronages, Medical Detection Dogs. Since 2014, Camilla has been a dedicated supporter of this charity, focusing notably on their groundbreaking efforts in detecting COVID-19.
Queen Camilla and her patronage of Medical Detection Dogs
In honor of the 15th anniversary of one of her patronages, Medical Detection Dogs, Queen Camilla hosted a distinctive gathering at Clarence House, as The Crown Chronicles reports. She has actively supported the charity since 2014, emphasizing its groundbreaking contributions to COVID-19 detection.
Medical Detection Dogs has successfully trained over 200 Medical Alert Assistance and Bio Detection Dogs. These animals are capable of detecting minute traces of specific odors associated with medical conditions. Moreover, Bio Detection Dogs undergo training to detect illnesses, such as cancer, with a 2022 study revealing their remarkable 94% accuracy in detecting COVID-19.
Addressing the attendees at the reception, the Queen reflected on her patronage of 10 years. She said, “People thought how on earth can these dogs sniff out all these diseases, but as you have seen today, seeing is believing.”
One of the guests who had the honor of meeting Her Majesty the Queen was Michelle Sutherland. Her two-year-old medical alert assistance dog named Spring assisted her. Spring plays a crucial role in alerting Ms. Sutherland before medical emergencies from Addison’s disease arise. This is a condition characterized by the self-destruction of adrenal glands, in which the patient’s body is unable to manage stress effectively.
Michelle remarked, “Spring is a lifesaver. He alerts four or five times every day, so he has given my independence back and allows me to live a normal life. Without him…I would spend a lot of time in hospital…Spring is completely oblivious that he has given me my life back.”
Additionally, she expressed gratitude for Camilla’s support of the charity, calling it incredible. She noted, “It makes people believe more in the charity and believe dogs actually do have that ability to detect diseases.”
