Canada's largest group which helps people with visual impairment, the CNIB, is celebrating the graduation of 29 dogs from a training program. The guide dogs will be placed across Canada to help people get around.
But little did her family know that the “Hope” on the horizon would be a Labrador retriever.
In the months after the diagnosis, Ollie lost his sight because of the disease. A short time later, he received a stem cell transplant from his older sister, Abby.
Feeling overwhelmed navigating cancer treatments and Ollie’s blindness, Dawn looked for resources to help her son and was pointed towards the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and, more specifically, its Guide Dog program.
“When we heard about the program, it really did actually give him hope,” Dawn said. “It’s really hard when you have a seven-year-old, who’s that sick, to try and keep them motivated to want to go through all the pain and all the treatments.” Ollie knew he had to get better to take care of a dog, though, and that was the motivation he needed.
CALGARY April 28th is International Guide Dog Day and 20 Canadians who are blind or partially sighted are graduating with their guide dogs after completing months of intensive training. Fourteen-year-old Gabriel Pigeon and his Buddy Dog Maggie are among the 2021 graduates of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Guide Dogs Buddy Program. Pigeon told CTV News Calgary in an interview that throughout training he had a lot of fun and made some new friends but more importantly to him, (Maggie) gives me a lot more confidence, I was always worried about running into poles, running into the clear bus shelters and with Maggie, she s able to steer me away from that.
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Last year, a fire broke out in the lobby of Cindy Shone’s Toronto building. After hearing the fire alarm, Shone opened her door to find out what was happening. She could feel and smell the smoke filling her hallway, but couldn’t see it. Shone is blind.
Shone quickly put the safety harness on Barney, her Labrador-Golden Retriever-mix guide dog. She doesn’t remember giving him any commands.
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If a guide dog isn t physically distancing, it s OK to talk to the handler “I feel very lucky to have gotten a guide dog because I know the waiting list is very long. CNIB for guide dogs has come through with flying colours.” Jean Menzies
Author of the article: Kevin Griffin
Publishing date: Apr 27, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 3 minute read • Jean Menzies and Percy have been together for about two months. They’re getting on so well together, the two of them will be graduating from the CNIB Guide Dogs program Wednesday. Percy is a male black Labrador-golden retriever cross with brindle (unusual streaks of colour). PNG