Photo credit: Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides on Facebook

By Justin Goulet

A dog’s purpose: the importance of dog guides in Canada

May 23, 2019 | 11:41 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – More than 3,000 dog guides have been trained to help people with disabilities in Canada since 1983. While the disabled acquire the dogs for free, there is significant cost behind the training.

This weekend, the annual Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides takes place in around 300 different communities across the country, including in Lethbridge, to raise awareness and funds for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

Communications manager Maria Galindo said that to date, the event has raised more than $17 million for the foundation, which receives zero government funding and relies solely on donations from individuals, corporations and fundraising activities.

IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE DOGS

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It all started in 1983 through local Lion’s Clubs and expanded in 1985 with the first Canine Vision program. The foundation’s work has since grown to include these seven programs:

· Canine Vision Dog Guides – for people who are blind or visually impaired

· Hearing Dog Guides – for people who are deaf or heard of hearing

· Service Dog Guides – for people with a physical disability

· Seizure Response Dog Guides – for those who have epilepsy

· Autism Assistance Dog Guides – for children on the autism spectrum

· Diabetic Alert Dog Guides – for people who have diabetes with hypoglycemic unawareness

· Support Dog Guides – for professional agencies with individuals in traumatic situations

The foundation’s training facility and main base of operations is in Oakville, Ontario.

“All of our puppies are born into our own breeding program – we get some donations, but most of them do come from our own program,” Galindo said.

“They’re trained by volunteer foster families until they’re about a year old. At a year old, they come back to the foundation for formal training, which can last four to eight months. Then, at approximately a year and a half, they go out to clients that have a medical or physical disability.”

She explained that all the dogs are trained at the Oakville centre, then transferred over to wherever the person with a disability lives.

“Let’s say someone in Lethbridge needs a service dog, they would apply for it online at our website in one of the seven programs. An instructor would do a follow-up visit to see if they qualify for a dog guide and then we fly you out here (Oakville) all at no cost,” she said.

“You live here for two to three weeks, depending on the program that you are applying to. Food is provided at no cost to the client as well, and they receive lifelong follow-ups.”

She said it costs an average of $25,000 to breed and train each dog.

Courtesy of a partnership with Pet Valu, food is covered for dogs during training. Once the training period is over, the person utilizing the dog’s service must cover the cost of food.

Individuals do get a discount of 10 percent from Pet Valu if using a dog guide. However, dogs are provided free of charge. Additionally, veterinary visits are covered during the fostering period.

FUNDRAISING

Galindo said fundraising event happen year-round, and anyone can start one.

“We rely on the public for a lot of donations and fundraising events. We do have some local ones in Oakville, which we are able to run but a lot of times clients go back to their hometown and either they organize a Pet Valu walk or they organize any fundraising event towards the foundation,” she said.

In Lethbridge, the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides will take place on Saturday, May 25 at Henderson Park. Many of the other walks will take place that day or on Sunday, the 26.

Last year, the event was able to raise $1.4 million across Canada.

“It would be great to match that or beat that but all we want is just to create more awareness so that more people are aware of this program and that it’s available at no cost to applicants,” Galindo said.

On-site registration for the event starts at 11:00 a.m., with the walk beginning at noon. Registration is free and can be done beforehand through walkfordogguides.com or at Henderson Park the morning of the walk.

“There is no fundraising goal that you have to achieve. All we ask is that you donate whatever you can, or you can fundraise as much as you can, and then just have fun and attend the walk.”

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