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MEDIA KIT
About Lions Foundation of Canada Dog GuidesLions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides is a national charity. Its mission is to empower Canadians withdisabilities to navigate their world with confidence and independence by providing Dog Guides at no costto them and supporting each pair in their journey together.Founded in 1983 by Lions clubs from across Canada, its first program, Canine Vision, trained and matchedDog Guides with Canadians who were blind or visually impaired. The foundation has since built its capacityto include seven programs to meet diverse needs. To date, Lions Foundation of Canada has matched DogGuides with more than 3,000 Canadians. A Dog Guide costs approximately 35,000 to raise and train butnone of that cost is passed on to qualifying applicants.Lions Foundation of Canada operates two facilities in Ontario: its head office and training centre in Oakville,and a breeding and training facility in Breslau.Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides does not receive government funding, and relies on supportfrom service clubs, corporations, foundations and individuals from across the country in order to meet itsmission.Dog Guides Canada offers seven programs:Canine Vision Dog GuidesFor people who are blind or visually impairedHearing Dog GuidesFor people who are deaf or hard of hearingService Dog GuidesFor people who have a physical or medical disabilitySeizure Response Dog GuidesFor people who have epilepsyAutism Assistance Dog GuidesFor children who have autism spectrum disorderDiabetic Alert Dog GuidesFor people who have diabetes with hypoglycemic unawarenessFacility Support Dogsfor professional agencies assisting individuals in traumatic situations
Dog Guide Program InformationEach program trains Dog Guides to meet the different needs of people with various disabilities. Breedscommonly used are Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodles (for people who are allergic to dogs) andGolden Retrievers.The training for a Dog Guide is an intensive four to six month period, training one-on-one with a qualifiedinstructor. Once fully trained, the dog is matched with a client who spends one to three weeks at theOakville training facility, learning how to handle, trust and bond with their new Dog Guide.CANINE VISIONHEARINGCanine Vision Dog Guides assistCanadians (12 years) who are blindor visually impaired. These Dog Guidesare trained to safely navigate obstaclestypically found on daily routes.Hearing Dog Guides assist Canadians(10 years) who are deaf or hard of hearing,and are unable to detect important sounds.These Dog Guides have been taught todistinguish specific sounds, and alert theirhandler.AUTISM ASSISTANCESERVICEAutism Assistance Dog Guidesassist children (ages 3-12) on theautism spectrum. These Dog Guidesprovide safety, companionship andunconditional love.Service Dog Guides assist Canadians(10 years) who have a physical ormedical disability. These Dog Guidesare trained to retrieve objects, open/close doors and appliances, and gethelp by barking or activating an alertsystem.
SEIZURE RESPONSEDIABETIC ALERTSeizure Response Dog Guides assistCanadians (10 years) with epilepsy.These Dog Guides are trained to barkfor help or activate an alert system inthe event of a seizure.Diabetic Alert Dog Guides assistCanadians (10 years) who havediabetes with hypoglycemicunawareness. They are trained todetect sudden drops in their handler’sblood sugar, and alert them.FACILITY SUPPORTFacility Support dogs are forprofessional agencies that assistindividuals in traumatic situations.These dogs are trained to provideon-scene support when requestedto those most vulnerable in thecommunity.
Foster Puppy ProgramFirst steps in becoming a foster family to a future Dog Guide: Puppies are bred at the Lions Foundation’s facility in Breslau, Ontario At approximately eight weeks of age, puppies are placed in foster homes until they return for formaltraining, which is usually around one year of age Foster families housetrain the puppies, teach them manners, basic obedience, and socialize inenvironments like offices, shopping malls and public transportation Foster families attend puppy classes in Oakville and Breslau every four to six weeks throughout the oneyear commitment Veterinary care is provided at the Lions Foundation’s in-house clinic Pet Valu family of stores are Dog Guides feeding partner. Puppies are fuelled by Perfomatrin andPerformatrin Ultra food. The puppies are screened for both physical soundness as well as temperament before entering thetraining programDog Guides are fuelledby Performatrin andPerformatrin Ultra dogand puppy food, thanksto the Pet Valu family ofstores.
Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides Pet Valu Walk Dog Guides is the largest fundraising event of its kind The Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides raises funds to help provide Dog Guides to Canadians with visual,hearing, medical or physical disabilities, at no cost To date the walk has raised more than 19 million for Dog Guides. To keep everyone safe, this year’sevent will be held virtually Thanks to our national sponsor, Pet Valu, funds raised from the approximately 300 participatingcommunities across Canada go directly toward raising, training and providing Dog Guides to Canadiansat no cost All ages, fitness levels, with or without a dog are welcome to participate To register or to donate, visit: www.walkfordogguides.com, call 1-800-768-3030 or emailwalk@dogguides.comRegister and Donate atwww.walkfordogguides.comCANINE VISION HEARING SERVICE SEIZURE RESPONSEAUTISM ASSISTANCE DIABETIC ALERT FACILITY SUPPORT– The Pet Valu Family of Stores –
Fact Sheet Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides does not receive any government funding and relies onthe support of fundraising events and donations from service clubs, corporations, foundations andindividuals across the country All Dog Guides, including training and accommodation at the school, are provided to qualifiedapplicants at no cost It costs approximately 35,000 to provide each To offset part of this cost, the Lions Foundation seeks sponsors for each Dog Guide team. Sponsorshipcosts are:Hearing 4,000Canine Vision 6,000Diabetic Alert 8,000Facility Support 9,000Service 10,000Seizure Response 10,000Autism Assistance 12,000 After a dog completes the four to six month training program, a successful applicant comes to stay atthe Oakville training facility for one to three weeks, to work with their new Dog Guide and establish thebond that is necessary for the team to succeed After graduation, follow-up visits and communication between the graduate and the training staff ismaintained to ensure on-going success A working Dog Guide is permitted in all public places. The dogs have been trained to travel on all formsof public transportation The Dog Guide’s attention must be on its handler at all times therefore people are not permitted to petor distract a Dog Guide while it is in harness
Contact InformationDiane WeberCommunications ManagerLions Foundation of Canada/Dog Guides CanadaTelephone: (905) 842-2891 Ext. 298Toll Free: 1 (800) 768-3030 Ext. 298Fax: (905) 842-3373Email: dweber@dogguides.comAddress:152 Wilson StreetOakville, ON L6K Charitable Tax Number:Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides - 13024 5129 RR0001
The training for a Dog Guide is an intensive four to six month period, training one-on-one with a qualified instructor. Once fully trained, the dog is matched with a client who spends one to three weeks at the Oakville training facility, learning how to handle, trust and bond with their new Dog Guide. CANINE VISION Canine Vision Dog Guides assist
