Storyful
Harley, a trained service dog, prevented a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction when she detected traces of peanuts on a plate during a buffet lunch.Natalie Rice, whose legs are visible in the footage as she shows a plate to her service dog, Harley, told Storyful she got Harley from Nosey Dog Detection Partners in Wyoming, where she was trained by Kathy Watters.Rice said her daughter has a severe peanut allergy, and on the day the video was taken, the family was at the grandparents’ home for a holiday buffet meal.“That’s where things got tricky. As a food allergy parent, buffets are not something I’ve ever been comfortable with, but Harley does give us an extra layer of protection, which is exactly what happened that evening,” Rice said.The plate in question contained only “sweet potatoes, grilled vegetables, potato pancakes, and applesauce taken from the buffet,” all of which should not have contained traces of peanuts.“At a buffet, however, it’s not as controlled – food and plates don’t go directly from the kitchen to your seat at the table. I believe this is what the issue was: trace amounts on the plate. Someone – whether a guest or staff member – had peanut residue on their hands and touched the plate,” she added.In the video, Harley is seen sniffing the plate before lifting her leg toward Rice.“When Harley detects peanuts, she touches my leg to alert. When she does not detect peanuts, she makes eye contact to let me know it’s a pass/all clear,” Rice said.Rice, who shares videos of Harley’s abilities on her TikTok account, @detectiveharleyfadd, hopes to “help people have a better understanding of the severity of food allergies.” Credit: @detectiveharleyfadd via Storyful