Katie's not so shaggy dog story at Fringe

Katie Gregson, 15, from St Annes, has Type One diabetes and has trained her Border Collie, Pip, to smell her breath and gauge blood sugar levels.

Pip’s sense of smell is so strong she can detect when Katie’s glucose levels start to fall below or creep above critical levels.

If Pip senses danger, she will alert Katie by nudging, licking and even fetching a diabetes testing kit.

Now Katie and Pip’s incredible story is the subject of a play at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Katie’s big brother Rob takes a starring role in the play as well alongside his partner Charlotte Berry.

She said: “We wanted to face the challenge of working with both children and animals.

“The bond between the participants is so strong and we want to be able to share that with an audience.”

Katie, then 12, researched all the techniques and tricks to teach dogs about scent levels.

Her mum, Christine, said: “She has spent hours upon hours training Pip which has led to more than 50 tricks being learnt.

“Pip is a constant companion for Katie and has got her through the worst times, it’s an amazing relationship they have.”

Diabetes can lead to sudden drops and rises in blood sugar levels producing a variety of symptoms that include seizures and unconsciousness.

Katie and Pip will be performed in Edinburgh on August 20-28. Tickets are available on 0845 260 1234.