With soft white fur, penetrating eyes and long floppy ears, it's hard to believe that this four-legged Labrador is an also an innovative diabetic medical device that can save lives.

But that's what Alya is for her 12-year-old charge, Savannah Gobal.

Gobal suffers from Type 1 diabetes, the most severe form of the genetic disease, which can occur in infants, children and young adults.

Young diabetics must undertake a regimen of insulin shots for the rest of their lives, because their pancreas no longer produces insulin.

Type 1 diabetics must test their blood sugar daily on a glucose monitor to know how much insulin to inject. Intake of food must be balanced with insulin intake. Too much insulin and not enough food can lead to an episode of low blood sugar.

Low blood sugar symptoms range from shakiness, clammy sweatiness, to more severe reactions such as disorientation, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Alya never leaves Savannah's side. Her eyes dart in the girl's direction constantly, and even when the dog appears to be resting a bit, with half-lidded eyes, her nose constantly sniffs the youngster to detect the onset of low blood sugar.

Her job is an important one — 24 hours a day, she detects any drop in Gobal's blood sugar levels before it becomes life-threatening.

Jeannie Hickey, a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator, works with the Dogs4Diabetics program, also known as the Armstrong Project. This nonprofit group was founded by Mark Ruefenacht, also a Type 1 diabetic, in 2004 and is based in Concord. The Gobal family got Alya there and currently is training with her at the center.

"The program began three years ago and has graduated 11 dogs, and two more will graduate this month. Ten dogs are placed that are working to graduate," said Hickey, adding that dogs must pass a "canine good citizen" test and be able to catch low blood sugar in their human partners better than 90 percent of the time.

Hickey said there are currently 14 people in the training program to get a dog, and that funding, which comes from donations and fundraising, is a challenge. There is no cost to participants for a dog.

To acquire a canine medical assistant, individuals must also meet certain criteria.

"Individuals must be Type 1 diabetic that are trying to maintain good control but are having difficulty recognizing the symptoms of their frequent lows (blood sugar). The medical term is 'hypoglycemia unawareness.' Also, individuals must make time to come to classes," Hickey said.

Hickey has quite a collection of numerous heroic canine tales, inspiring stories of how these dogs have alerted their owners about the onset of low blood sugar.

Take, for example, Beverly, a dog that jumped into a pool with wet fur flying to alert her owner of an approaching low.

Then there is Dela, who alerts her sleeping human companions by tossing her head under theirs until they react. And Destiny, who sounds an alert of low sugar by laying her head on the diabetic individual and snorting.

For Savannah, who resides with her parents, Lynn and Lance, in Redding, living with diabetes has literally been full of ups and downs. Diagnosed when she was only 14 months old, she has never really known a life free of disease, according to her mother.

"She really doesn't remember life without diabetes. It has become part of our routine now after all these years and does not stop us from doing anything. In the early years, we spent so much time fretting about things, but you become more adept as time goes by and gain experience," said Lynn, who readily admits that when you have a diabetic child, sleep becomes a commodity because of the parent's need to be constantly alert to the child's blood sugar levels.

At night, a drop in blood sugar can be especially life-threatening.

That's where Alya comes in, with big paws and tail wagging. She sleeps closely to Savannah's body to catch any changes in the girl's scent.

"Alya now sleeps with Savannah all the time. And as we go through training, one of the objectives is when she smells impending low blood sugar, she'll jump up on the bed. If she unable to wake Savannah up, then she comes and gets us, and we check the sugar," Lance said.

The Gobals are happy with their warm, furry choice to catch Savannah's low blood sugar, rather than mechanical devices that do the same.

"We are an animal-friendly family to begin with, and Savannah had a lot of interest in pursuing the dog. Sometimes, diabetes seems like a bummer, and having one of these dogs is a nice emotional lift and performs an important function," Savannah's parents said, adding that the 2-year-old Lab seems to be able to catch impending low sugar levels well ahead of standard blood glucose meters.

Savannah has taken diabetes in stride with a maturity beyond her years. She often says of her condition: "I think it rocks!"

She shares this enthusiasm whenever she can with diabetes groups she addresses, as she did Feb. 29 at the monthly Yuba-Sutter Type 1 Diabetes Support Group meeting. Accompanied by her family, she and Alya captivated the audience of more than 60.

Next month, Alya, the creamy white Lab, will graduate from her training in Concord and be able to go more places with Savannah — like her school, Bethel Christian in Redding.

When asked if she feels safer with Alya at her side, the alert 12-year-old gave a resounding, "Yes!"

For more information:

The Yuba/Sutter Children's Type 1 Diabetes Support Group meets 7-9 p.m. the last Friday of each month at the Fremont-Rideout Conference Center, 989 Plumas St., Yuba City. For more information, contact Ouida Wakefield at 674-0510.