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Entry 557Filed under Breeding

11-Year-Old Piper Manages Type 1 Diabetes with Help from Her “Snuggly” Service Dog Marley

Piper’s family says Marley, a trained golden retriever, alerts her to glucose changes and offers comfort alongside her CGM and insulin pump.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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Eleven-year-old Piper Stroud says she and Marley, her three-year-old golden retriever, are best friends. In her family’s account, Marley is trained to notice glucose changes and alert Piper, adding companionship and another layer of support to a routine that also includes a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), an insulin pump, and Piper’s response to her readings.

How Marley supports Piper

In an October 3, 2026, report republishing a PEOPLE exclusive, Piper’s mother, Faith DeSantiago, says Marley alerts Piper when she detects a change and stays close while Piper checks her glucose and takes the appropriate next step. Piper says, “Marley and I are best friends.” The family describes Marley as both a trained alert dog and a comforting companion.

Faith says the family’s CGM and pump mean Marley does not need to alert often. The dog’s role, as described by the family, is alongside that technology and Piper’s own actions—not in place of glucose monitoring, insulin, medical advice, or emergency care. The report does not independently evaluate Marley’s training or performance, and the available sources do not establish a general accuracy rate or training standard for diabetes alert dogs.

Piper’s diabetes tools and what they do

Faith says Piper was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2022, when she was seven, and uses an Abbott Libre CGM and a Beta Bionics iLet insulin pump. The report does not identify the Libre model or generation, compare the devices, or make a recommendation about them.

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Continuous glucose monitor

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). A CGM estimates glucose levels and can send readings to a phone or insulin pump; some systems provide low- or high-glucose alarms. NIDDK advises acting quickly when a CGM alarm sounds.

Insulin pump

An insulin pump delivers insulin. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) explains that some systems connect CGM data with insulin delivery. Whether to use a pump is a personal decision, and safe use requires the user or caregivers to be ready to manage the device and follow the diabetes care team’s instructions. Device choices should reflect an individual’s circumstances, needs, and preferences.

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The family’s reported Libre-and-iLet setup is a detail of Piper’s story, not evidence that those devices are compatible in every configuration, available to every reader, covered by every insurer, or right for another child.

Diabetes care at school and with friends

For school-age children, ADA guidance notes that real-time readings, personalized alarms, trend information, and data sharing with caregivers or school support teams can be useful. It also advises having a blood glucose meter available if a sensor fails or its readings do not match symptoms. Families can discuss school support and technology choices with the child’s diabetes care team.

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Piper is described as an active child who wants friends to understand type 1 diabetes and what to do in an emergency. She created a “Diabetes College” activity for them. Her message is that diabetes does not rule out an active life: “With the right tools, you can take care of yourself and still live your best life.”

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What this story does—and does not—show about alert dogs

Marley’s contribution is personal and specific: the family says she notices glucose changes, alerts Piper, and stays close as Piper checks her glucose. That account illustrates how a dog may fit into one family’s support system, alongside diabetes technology, caregivers, and the child’s own response.

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It is not a clinical assessment or proof of how reliably diabetes alert dogs perform in general. The report does not provide a training standard, outcome comparison, or independent evaluation of Marley. Anyone considering diabetes devices or a service dog should discuss the options and safe-use needs with their healthcare team; Piper’s reported choices should not be treated as a universal recommendation.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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