Dogs Without Borders take diagnostics to remote communities where dogs and diagnostics are out of reach. But for dogs, reach is not a problem, and they can help us prevent many premature deaths in these areas. This is why we partnered with SFBO to create Dogs Without Borders, and take diagnostics directly to the places where medical diagnostics are a distant reality.

Dogs rescued from shelters that were going to die are trained to detect cancer and other diseases and sent to remote areas.

By sniffing odor samples from locals, dogs can diagnose disease before it is too late.

According to the UN, while 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, billions of people live in remote and underdeveloped places far away from medical attention. In consequence, according to Forbes half the world’s population has limited access to diagnostics, especially people in remote locations where simple routine exams like mammograms are still a distant reality.

In these remote areas many premature deaths can be avoided with just a simple test. That is why we partnered with SFBO to create Dogs Without Borders a first-of-its-kind initiative that uses medical dogs to sniff-out disease in remote areas where doctors and diagnostics are out of reach. Dogs Without Borders rescues dogs waiting to die in shelters and trains them to save people in isolated locations.

By just sniffing out an odor samples from a locals, dogs can diagnose a diseases before it is too late, saving human lives in consequence.

In many developing countries such as Brazil and Morocco, a big part of the population lives in remote areas that lack access to hospitals and medical attention.Very often, small villages and communities don’t even have electricity to run the most basic diagnostic devices. And when they do, they don’t have financial resources to afford them. With that said, the overall perception of the project is so positive in every market the idea took place that SFBO is already in advanced talks with the government in countries like Brazil to make our four-legged friends part of the public health system. Dogs Without Borders became so relevant for many isolated communities in 3 different continents that the initiative is now on its way to become an independent NGO that can reach millions more living where doctors and diagnostics are a distant reality.

We partnered with SFBO, a project founded by the internationally renowned Curie Institute, to create Dogs Without Borders — a first-of-its-kind initiative that uses medical dogs to sniff out disease in remote areas where doctors and diagnostics are out of reach. Dogs Without Borders rescues dogs waiting to die in shelters and trains them to save people in isolated locations.

Detection is possible thanks to a bone-shaped “odor collection kit” handed to locals with all they need for the collection: instructions, soap, gauze, and a thermal ziplock bag bag for the sample. The kit is designed to withstand the harshest environments. After collection, the odor samples are sniffed by the dogs. The sooner they sniff them, the sooner patients can be sent to further analysis and treatment.

Cancer is just the beginning for us, we’re expanding to other diseases and countries.

According to the UN, half the world has limited access to diagnostics, especially those living in remote areas. On the other hand, new data shows that dogs can detect Cancer, Malaria, COVID-19, diabetes, Parkinson’s among other diseases by sniffing out odor samples.

Some of those studies started in Paris with scientists at the Curie Institute, through their SFBO division, which has investigated the potential of dogs detecting disease for years. With over 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, dogs are able to detect Cancer in very early stages with 100% accuracy, in some cases. Even before a tumor is formed.

Dogs Without Borders saves dogs from shelters and trains them to detect disease in communities where doctors and diagnostics are out of reach. It’s an entirely new approach to diagnostics. It’s a call out for many that haven’t ever seen a doctor to get diagnosed.

We started designing our bone-shaped “odor collection kit” in April of 2022. The kit contains everything locals need to perform the collection themselves, and it’s designed to withstand the harshest environments.

Dogs started being rescued and trained also in April last year, and they became ready about 6-8 months later. Then, in January of this year, we started taking them to remote communities, including the Amazon forest in Brazil, the Sahara desert in Morocco and some small villages in Spain, places where the closest hospital is often hundreds of miles away.

According to scientists, dogs can be more accurate than our best diagnostic machines, but way cheaper, which makes them a scalable solution for areas that lack the financial resources and infrastructure to run expensive laboratory equipment.

SFBO is currently in talks with the federal government of countries such as Brazil to make dogs part of the public health system.

Since January 2023, over 1,000 patients have been reached and diagnosed, across three different continents, including Amazon Forest natives in Brazil and nomads in the Sahara desert in Morocco. The collected samples not only help save lives that could be lost if patients go undiagnosed, but they also become a tool for future research and dog training. With dogs being able to detect diseases like cancer with 100% accuracy, the governments in certain countries like Brazil are already in conversations with SFBO to make our four-legged friends part of the public health system.

Thanks to our affiliate program, Dogs Without Borders is expanding operations to tackle many other diseases such as malaria, COVID-19, diabetes, and Parkinson’s among others.

Dogs Without Borders is now on its way to become an independent NGO that can reach millions living in communities where doctors and diagnostics are out of reach.