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
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.