When Jeffrey Glazer goes to the movie theater or a restaurant, his dog Riley scouts the place out first.
Glazer, a 13-year-old Ansonia resident, has a life-threatening peanut allergy. Riley is a service dog trained to detect traces of peanuts left on school desks, diner plates and even baseballs.
Glazer and Riley’s story will be featured on a Nick News segment about service dogs, which will air at 9 p.m. Sunday on Nickelodeon.
“I used to not be able to go to the movies, restaurants, sometimes I couldn’t even go to my friends’ houses,” Glazer said Friday. “Now that I have Riley, I can.”
Nick News, a news show for children hosted by Linda Ellerbee, has been on the air for 19 years.
How It Works
Glazer said he’s allergic to peanuts, whether he eats them, smells them or touches them.
The strongest, most life-threatening reaction will occur if Glazer consumes peanuts or peanut products, he said.
But simply sitting in a chair touched by a person with a trace of peanut button on his or her hand could elicit a reaction of hives, itching and pain, Glazer said.
Riley helps Glazer determine if non-visible traces of peanuts are on the items he uses daily.
“If he finds something, he usually sits down,” Glazer said. “I can say a command, ‘Show me’ and then he points to it with his nose.”
Glazer said if Riley detects peanut traces, someone can wipe down the seat so it’s safe for Glazer.
He said before getting Riley last December, Glazer had one or two allergic reactions a month. But since Riley has been helping out, Glazer has only had two reactions.
Awareness
Glazer said he hopes the Nick News show will help raise awareness about food allergies, and working service dogs.
He said, in particular, he wants more people to understand that food allergies can be airborne.
Glazer also said there’s a misconception that service dogs are only used for people with vision impairment or a physical handicap.
“I lot of people say ‘Don’t touch that dog because he’s helping that blind boy over there,’” Glazer said about common misconceptions with service dogs. “I lot of people think he’s still in training.”
The Big Day
The Nick News segment will also feature teens from around the country who use service dogs for other reasons. Nickelodeon found out about Glazer through the company that trained Riley.
Glazer said he has told everyone he knows to watch the show on Sunday.
“It was awesome getting to walk around with the cameras,” Glazer said. “It was a lot cooler than a lot of people might think. It was a lot of hard work.”
