Austin Boy Living with Severe Allergy Needs Peanut-Sniffing Service Dog

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX - Nine-year-old Odin Esensee should be spending his time focusing on being a kid, but instead he lives in constant fear of peanuts. The Austin boy’s allergy is so severe, he has been hospitalized for simply touching traces of peanut oil. Now Odin’s family is trying to raise money to get him a peanut-sniffing dog that could change his life.

Odin has been hospitalized four times this school year alone, and all of the incidents happened during games of tag at recess. If a child touches peanut butter and then touches Odin, he suffers a reaction so serious that one can see exactly where he was touched on his skin; he can also go into anaphylactic shock.

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Odin was given new hope when he saw an article in a Scholastic about a young girl with severe peanut allergies whose life had been changed by a “peanut dog.” This type of service dog could accompany Odin at all times and alert him to traces of peanut oil as soon as he entered a room.

The problem is that these specially trained service dogs cost between $15,000 and $45,000. The family is trying to raise whatever money they can on GiveForward.com in hopes of getting Odin a service canine.

“I can’t even imagine the impact [a dog] would have,” Odin’s mother, Selena, said. “For him to be able to jump out of the car and run onto a playground without having to worry, or to go to a birthday party and not worry about peanuts being served or having to eat his own treat that I packed for him.”

Selena carries around an EpiPen and sterilizing wipes at all times, but when Odin is at school she cannot keep him safe. She said the staff at Real Learning Academy in Southeast Austin has been incredibly caring and helpful about Odin’s allergy, but it’s still not enough to give her or her son peace of mind.

The children in Odin’s class banded together and swore off peanuts and peanut butter products in the classroom on their own, but Odin’s allergy is so severe that he is still in danger. Selena said peanut oil can last on surfaces for 110 days if not scrubbed off with soap and water.

The journey of Odin’s peanut allergy has been a long one. He started having reactions when he was only about 2 years old. His father noticed his son was bright red while eating peanut butter in a high chair. A few year later, he had a reaction from simply holding a peanut butter candy in his hand.

Odin was diagnosed with a Tactile Peanut Allergy, which means he can have a reaction from simply touching something a peanut, or peanut product, has come into contact with. Odin was homeschooled for a year after getting teased for his peanut allergy, and even having one child put a bag of peanuts in his backpack. Now he’s thriving and making great friends at his Austin charter school, but his allergy is still causing anxiety and health problems.

The price of a peanut dog is the main challenge for the family, but finding the right company to work with has also proven difficult. There are currently no regulations on allergen-sniffing dogs, and Selena has heard horror stories about people getting scammed and ending up with dogs that don’t signal for peanut butter, even when it is right in front of them. Since Odin’s allergy is so severe, the family can’t risk that.

“I have to have a dog that can sniff out peanuts like they’re sniffing out a bomb,” Selena said.

She’s currently interested in a company called Allergen Detection Service Dogs, and the company has a background in training military dogs. An added plus is that they will come from Colorado Springs to Austin to teach the family how to work with the dog.

The discovery of peanut dogs has changed Selena’s life in many ways, and has even influenced her career path. She is working with Allergen Detection Service Dogs to start a nonprofit that will act as a support system for families of children with severe allergies, something she wished she had when first learning to live with Odin’s allergy. She was also offered a job with Austin’s Karma Dogs, which trains allergy and service dogs.

“Before I couldn’t have a job because I had to be ready to drop everything to take Odin to the hospital, but my [new boss] is willing to be flexible with me,” Selena said.

The family hopes to get Odin a peanut dog as soon as they raise the money. Odin wanted a dalmatian, but Selena said peanut dogs are usually golden retrievers, labradors, or German shepherds. No matter what breed, a service dog would improve Odin’s quality of life exponentially.

“To have him be comfortable and just to be who he is, I can’t even imagine who he’s going to be able to be,” Selena said.

To find out how to donate and help Odin get a peanut dog click HERE.