A group of hard-working pups celebrated a milestone at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) office in Halifax on Wednesday, as pet-owners and dogs alike came to mark the end of their guide dog training. Were present for.
This celebration could not have happened at a better date, as International Guide Dog Day was also celebrated on this occasion.
Maxine Silva was thrilled to show her appreciation for everything her dog Simba did for her that day.
“For me, it opened up a whole new way of life, allowing me to be independent and meet new people like CNIB,” he said during the event on Wednesday.
Silva has low vision – a condition that is difficult to correct with prescription glasses or contacts – and initially thought she would not qualify for a guide dog because she is not completely blind.
“I always thought that to get a guide dog you had to be completely blind without seeing anything. “I always felt a little guilty like I was taking a guide dog away from someone who needed that dog, but I needed him too,” Silva continued.
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Dogs must undergo approximately two years of training before becoming a certified guide dog. After the initial program, the dogs complete a matching process to become more familiar with their new owners.
Maria Power was matched with her dog Dexter in February. He said that learning to work as a team requires a lot of dedication.
“You have to have confidence and skill, and you have to work together and as time goes on, you become a team,” he said.
The guide dog course costs CNIB approximately $50,000. Because the nonprofit organization is experiencing skyrocketing demand for service, many applicants have to wait up to four years before partnering with their furry friend.
“There are a number of people on the list who may not get a dog for some time, and maybe never, depending on the demand,” Silva said.
The CNIB says one reason for the shortage of guide dogs is the lack of volunteer puppy raisers.
Laura Kennedy, supervisor of the puppy training course, said the need for more volunteers is hindering the number of guide dogs the program can produce.
“We are almost always in need of volunteer puppy raisers… certainly right now,” she said. “The more volunteers we can get, the more dogs we can get into the hands of Canadians with vision loss.”
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