It’s comforting for Olivia to have her constant companion
Jovi in life’s unpredictable moments.
Olivia is eight and has autism, and so does her brother. A
couple of years ago I came across an article about dog guides and applied right
away knowing in an instant my son would benefit from a dog guide, a year and a half later we received Waylen a
Black Standard Poodle. Later when our
daughter was diagnosed I applied again for her to receive a dog guide. I knew
right away this would work for our family dynamics. A few weeks later,
we were approved for a dog from the foundation’s autism assistance program.
The wait was roughly about a year and a half before I got
the call to go to Oakville, Ont., for a 10-day dog guide handler training
course for our first dog Waylen. Jovi came 6 months after that; he is
an apricot Standard poodle.
Jovi is a calming influence; a constant Olivia can rely on
in her life.
When they go out, Olivia knows she is safe by holding onto
his harness, she feels confident and relaxed. Jovi, though, is the one who is
all business once he puts his harness on he is ultra-focused on her. Jovi is
like superman a normal everyday dog when out of his harness and all business
once in harness, ready to calm and reassure at a moment’s notice!
The Lions Foundation does wonders in training dogs to adapt
to any child they work with, but daily training is a must to keep a guide dog
working well in the community and home. That’s why it is super important to not
pet or distract a working dog; they really are doing a very important job!
This Sunday at 10 am, there will be a Purina Walk for Dog
Guides in Courtenay at the Bosley’s store location. Come out to the walk and
support this wonderful cause!
The Lions Foundation of Canada has six programs to train dog
guides to assist Canadians:
Canine Vision for people who are blind or visually impaired
Hearing Ear for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Autism Assistance for children who have autism spectrum
disorder
Service for people who have a physical disability
Seizure Response for people who have epilepsy
Diabetic Alert for people who have type 1 diabetes with
hypoglycemic unawareness
You can donate by following the link at the top of the page. Thank you so much for supporting families like ours!
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