Addy Luke and her service dog Koda are on the journey of life together.

They’ve only known one another for about a week, but that unbreakable bond has already started.

Addy has a severe peanut allergy. When her reactions were getting worse, Service Paws of Central PA started talking to her family about how they could help get her a service dog.

The organization and community were able to raise enough money for Koda. 

“We had one donor around December who donated $16,000,“ Liz Houge-Luke, Addy’s mom, said. “It was an anonymous donor. That was a huge weight off of our shoulders and really set us in a place that we needed to be so we could get Koda as soon as she was ready.“

Koda is coming from Allergen Detection Service Dogs. She did her training in San Antonio, Texas.

“Essentially what she has been trained to do is a giant game of hide and seek,“ Ciara Gavin, founder of Allergen Detection Service Dogs, said. “Everywhere she goes she knows something is hidden and it is her job to find it and if she finds it she gets her toy.“

Having Koda around gives peace of mind to the family. She uses her sharp sense of smell to sniff out peanuts.

“Koda is just that extra layer, that extra tool in our toolbox to help us ensure that Addy is going to be as safe as she possibly can be,“ Houge-Luke said.

On Monday, April 1, Service Paws of Central PA is doing a check presentation to Allergen Detection Service Dogs. The event will bring everyone who helped make Koda possible together to celebrate.