University of West Georgia student’s dog awarded honorary degree

Mona, the canine companion of nursing student Maggie Leptrone, was honored by university administrators for being alongside the student in classes and labs, serving in an unique role as Leptrone’s caretaker.

Leptrone, 23, has Type 1 diabetes and brought home Mona, a labradoodle, five years ago from Diabetic Alert Dogs of America, a program that aims to train dogs to detect changes in a person’s blood sugar level. While some researchers and dog owners have questioned the effectiveness of such canine training, Leptrone is a believer. She credits Mona with saving her life a couple of years ago by awakening her when her blood sugar level was dangerously low.