The Difference campaign is raising funds for a new national Dog Guide training school. Here’s your chance to be a part of it.
In Oakville, Ontario sits a plain brick building. Based on the ordinary outside, a casual observer wouldn’t know the extraordinary things happening inside.
The building is the home to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG), where Dog-Guides-to-be undergo specialized training, and where the people whose lives will be changed by their new assistance dog have a chance to train and bond with them.
Confidence and Independence
The stories of how the LFCDG has helped people across the country are touching and inspiring. Caroline found a level of safety and independence, thanks to the support of her Hearing Dog Guide. Caroline can sleep soundly each night knowing that if the fire alarm ever went off, Ann would wake her up. She describes Ann as her best friend, companion, and security guard all wrapped up in one.
Dog Guides enhance the lives of the person with whom they’re matched. They help them to be more independent and confident in their daily lives. LFCDG is the only organization providing Dog Guides in 7 unique programs: Vision, Hearing, Autism Assistance, Diabetes Alert, Seizure Response, Service and Facility Support. A Dog Guide not only provides support and assistance by alerting their recipient to potential medical and physical dangers, they also provide unconditional love and companionship. These benefits are also a boon to the families of the client. Mom Jodie speaks passionately about the change in their lives once her daughter Alison was paired with Autism Assistance Dog Guide Buttons. Now, Alison sleeps with Buttons in her own bed, meaning Mom and Dad get a better night’s rest. Out and about, Alison and Buttons are tethered, which reduces Alison’s tendency to run off. Jodie credits Buttons with keeping her little girl safe.
The Difference: Upgrading to a State-of-the-Art Facility
Graduates and their families would agree, the work that happens at LFCDG is transformative. And while the current building has served LFCDG well, it is bursting at the seams. It is an older building that is not fully accessible, which is a problem in any building, but especially for an organization that serves a community of people with physical and medical disabilities. When a person is matched with a Dog Guide, they stay at the LFCDG residence for between a week and three weeks, learning how to work with their new companion as a team. Having a space that is accessible and meets their needs will make the challenge of being away from home during training a bit easier and improve learning outcomes.
It costs $35,000 to raise, train and match a Dog Guide but the program is free to recipients including their travel, residency during training a lifetime of follow up services and support. LFCDG depends on the generosity of donors to keep the program going.
In order for the foundation to continue its important work and meet the increasing demand for Dog Guides, the time has come to move into a new space.
The new building will be big — 89,000 square feet — purpose built and fully accessible. It will have 35 rooms in the residence, plus classrooms, training facilities and a veterinary clinic. There will be kennels for 124 dogs, with a goal of developing 250 dog guide teams a year.
The state-of-the-art facility will be the largest Dog Guide training centre in the country, designed with input from clients and staff to make it the best it can be. Such a massive undertaking comes with a $50 million price tag. The Difference campaign has already raised $41.5 million but your help is still needed.
Learn more and become part of the legacy, by donating to dogguides.com/thedifference.
