July 2021
Dogs are being employed to sniff out COVID-infected individuals. They have proven effective at sniffing out bed bugs, drugs, firearms and explosives. Researchers believe dogs can be trained to detect various diseases including diabetes, lung cancer and COVID by smelling it on saliva or sweat.
Researchers in the United Kingdom are finding that dogs provide faster and more accurate results than most other testing systems. Body odour changes when people are sick. COVID causes a strong and distinctive smell dogs are able to identify through their nose. Studies in France and Germany are delivering similar results.
A retired police sergeant, given the opportunity to train a dog for detecting COVID, was forced to turn down the job because of condo rules.
The job requires the dog to reside with its owner during training. His condominium corporation has a no-pets policy. The corporation denied any exception to the rules for fear that other residents would demand a similar accommodation and that all owners must be treated equally.
While condo rules need to be followed, there should be some flexibility given the right circumstances. The board did nothing improper. Yet it seems that a different outcome was warranted for a matter serving the greater good.
