"Lab" Assistant Featured in The North Texan | College of Science
January 26, 2022

"Lab" Assistant Featured in The North Texan

Jane Zink and Buddy, her golden Labrador, always draw attention when they walk around campus.

"How often do you see a dog in boots?" Zink says.

The students are eager to touch him. She'll tell them that he's working -- and they understand. Buddy is a service animal who helps Zink, a biology and chemistry junior with Type 1 diabetes, when he senses her blood sugar is low.

Buddy is just one of several dogs who belong on the UNT campus.

Like Buddy, there are the service animals who help students with disabilities. Keegan is a member of the UNT Police Department and sniffs out potential explosives. More than two dozen dogs live in campus housing, either as emotional support animals for students or as companions to housing directors. And Buddy the Therapy Poodle in Counseling and Testing Services allow students time to heal from the stresses of life.

These dogs lend a lifeline to students for their physical and mental health. Zink, who wants to go to medical school and pursue a career in pathology, says Buddy keeps her safe and able to go places as she'll be alerted to any incidents of hypoglycemia.

"He means independence, safety and security," she says. "He's my best friend, a fuzzy best friend."

Buddy has made himself at home on campus and even in the labs.

Zink's instructional lab supervisor and the instructor, Wijayantha Perera, wrote "For Buddy" in tape on the floor so Buddy could have his space and he helped find personal protection equipment -- including goggles -- for Buddy. (Buddy even boasts his own Instagram page.)

Zink is grateful for the accommodations since Buddy has been a lifesaver for her more times than she can count.

Before Zink came to UNT, she was living on her own and frequently experienced plummeting blood glucose levels that she was unaware of. Her mother had remote access to her Continuous Glucose Monitor alerted Emergency Medical Services, which frequently had to rush to Zink's aid.

Zink joined up with Buddy two years ago, about the same time she toured UNT and found the College of Science program was the right fit for her. Buddy is trained to alert Zink to low blood sugars by bouncing or pawing at her face. And he warns her about 30 minutes ahead, while her monitor can be as much as 30 minutes behind. Buddy also provides deep pressure therapy for Zink when she experiences a panic attack.

With Buddy, she's now able to pursue her studies and career.

"It's always very surreal," she says. "I'm still amazed by how he does it and how amazing he is."

Read more at The North Texan