Allison Appleby Won Miss Dallas Teen with Her Service Dog Brady At Her Side

Ingrid Vasquez
·2 min read
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ali appleby/instagram

Allison Appleby was crowned Miss Dallas Teen USA on Sunday with her service dog in training, Brady, at her side.

The pageant winner, 17, opened up about her experience competing for the Miss Dallas Teen USA crown in an Instagram post on Tuesday, writing that she attended her first pageant competition "with the intentions of having fun and advocating for other girls with disabilities."

"Me? A princess? SHUT UP! Seriously though, I'm still in shock. I am officially Miss Dallas Teen 2022" she wrote in the caption.


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She expressed that when she first signed up for this pageant, a random stranger told her "you can't do that, you have a service dog. Pageant girls don't have disabilities!"

Appleby was diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago, according to KTEN. Brady, a Golden Retriever, assists Appleby by alerting her to oncoming seizures and is training to fetch her medication in the future.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjjfQU1uwzv/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=d5f059d5-afce-44d2-af4a-2e75df3df5fc
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ali appleby/instagram

According to 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit that breeds and trains service animals, dogs can detect chemical changes in the body of a person just about to go into a seizure. If they sense a seizure is coming, they will bark to get the attention of someone who can help.

RELATED: Shea the Puppy Is Bringing Smiles to the New York Mets While Training to Become a Service Dog

Her mother Beth Appleby told the station she "wasn't nervous" about her daughter entering the pageant "because she has Brady, who takes good care of her."

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Appleby echoed the same feelings, writing in her Instagram post that she is "blessed to have many more opportunities" to advocate for teens with disabilities.

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Next stop for Miss Dallas Teen USA and her trusted companion is Miss Texas Teen USA, which will be held May 26 to 28, 2023 in Houston.