Changing lives, one puppy at a time: Dogs With Wings celebrates newest grad class
Twenty-five new service dogs and their families celebrated the achievement of graduating as accredited service animals Sunday.
Dogs With Wings celebrated the occasion with a luncheon and ceremony to help recognize the new service animals and all the volunteers, staff, and vulnerable individuals who now have the help they need for a better quality of life.
Emily Hendsbee, Dogs With Wings acting director of client services and canine operations, said each service dog receives two years of training, and only around 35 per cent of animals make it to the end stage of training.
"We transformed the lives of 25 families here today," Hendsbee said. "It takes quite a lot of work and training to become a service dog.
"Today was a celebration of our volunteers who have put hundreds of hours into these dogs, our clients who are so deserving of their lives being changed, and our sponsor and donors that make it financially possible for us as a non-profit," she added.
To properly train each service dog, Hendsbee said it costs around $40,000, with families who need one only having to pay $1.
"These dogs do incredible things for their families," she said. "(That's why) we are so thankful for our volunteers and donors."
Mason Lam's son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The family enrolled in Dogs With Wings program to help his son with social interaction.
"(We were able to) interact an animal into his life that really helped change his dynamic as he interacts with other kids his age and other individuals in general as he tries to integrate into society, which is already hard enough for kids on the spectrum," Lam said.
Throughout the training process, Lam said the newest member of their family, Kyle, a golden retriever-lab mix, has already immensely helped his son.
"With dogs, it really breaks down a lot of the barriers because now you are interacting with an animal that doesn't necessarily give the same type of feedback or judgement, in certain cases," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.