Trillium Court raises $300 for Dog Guide program at National Dog Day celebration

About a dozen dogs and their owners, along with the residents, guests and staff of Trillium Court Seniors' Community, Kincardine, gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate National Dog Day, and raised $300 for Lions International of Canada's Dog Guides program.

There were small dogs, such as "Chara" owned by Rod and Karen Shanks of Kincardine, and "Jazz" owned by Marion Avery of Kincardine.

And there were big dogs, including "Oakley" owned by Jacqueline Faubert of Kincardine, and "Gilmore" owned by Nicole Markham of Kincardine.

A couple of the dogs, "Lucky" and "Sophie," actually live at Trillium Court.

The dogs toured the atrium, greeting everyone and receiving dog treats, while the adults enjoyed a delicious peach cobbler with ice cream, and beverages.

Also on hand, were Dennis and Helen Flavell of the Kincardine Lions Club, with a display about Lions Foundation of Canada and its Dog Guides program.

The foundation trains dog guides to assist Canadians with a wide range of disabilities. With six programs in place, Canadians with disabilities are offered the opportunity to find greater independence, mobility and safety through the help of a dog guide.

Depending on the program, dog guides are trained to perform a set of basic skills that are useful to all handlers. However, some of their training is also tailored to meet the specific needs of their future handler. In the final stage of training, the client and dog guide train and live together at the Oakville facility for two to four weeks. This helps to ensure that the new working team develops a bond and prepares it for the next step - returning home.

Lions Foundation of Canada's mission is to assist Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them with dog guides at no cost. To do this, the foundation operates Dog Guides Canada, a pre-eminent national training school and charity that assists individuals with disabilities through specialized dog guide programs.

These dog guides are provided at no cost to eligible Canadians from coast-to-coast, despite costing $25,000 to train and place. The foundation relies on donations from individuals, service clubs, foundations and corporations, and does not receive any government funding.