submitted by CGDB
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind is seeking puppy raisers for future guide dogs. Over the next year, our upcoming litters of pups will need homes.
Volunteers are needed to take a young puppy into their home, raise and love them like their own, and teach them obedience and socialization skills that will mark the good behaviour required of a guide dog. The commitment is 12-18 months, and you don’t have to be at home all day. Many people working, even full-time, and post-secondary students can participate.
All food, toys, supplies, and veterinary expenses are provided. You’ll also receive expert guidance and training sessions from staff at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The only thing you’ll need to provide is a loving home, plus a good amount of energy. We expect a couple of long daily walks, and as the puppy gets older, we encourage you to take it everywhere you go, to learn the environments it will later need to go to as a working guide dog. We provide you with a ‘guide dog in training’ jacket for your puppy to wear in public.
The most difficult part is giving up the puppy when it’s time to enter formal guide dog training, so you need to enter the volunteer program with the mindset of doing something good for the community and raising a dog for someone who is blind, so they will have freedom and independence.
Volunteers are needed in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, including areas near Prescott, Brockville, Gananoque, and Kingston.
You can sign up for one of the upcoming monthly information sessions at https://www.guidedogs.ca/puppy-walking/.
About Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind was established as a registered charity in 1984. Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind has provided more than 935 professionally trained guide dogs to Canadians who are visually impaired from coast to coast.
To learn more about this event or Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, visit www.guidedogs.ca or phone (613) 692-7777.
