Oakville residents can volunteer to take guide dogs home on weekends and holidays

If you’re a dog lover who wants to help a guide dog relax and unwind during off-hours (including weekends and holidays), you can get involved with a local organization dedicated to training the next generation of service dogs. 

The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG) recently called for volunteers to get involved in the organization’s day school program. The program, which aims to give dogs-in-training respite from the kennel, is open to people located near LFCDG’s Oakville and Breslau (located between Kitchener and Guelph) locations. 

The Oakville facility is located at 152 Wilson Street. 

The LFCDG provides guide dogs at no cost to Canadians living with disabilities. According to the organization’s website, it’s the only school to train dog guides in seven distinct programs, including breeding, rearing, training and other follow-up services. 

Training a dog costs about $35,000, and the organization relies on donations and receives no government funding. 

“The in-training dog may be exhibiting signs of stress due to the kennel environment, interfering with progression in their training program,” the LFCDG’s website reads.   

According to the website, volunteers will bring the dog they’re looking after back and forth to the training facility Monday through Friday and will provide housing for the dog on weekends and statutory holidays.

The commitment is a relatively long one, spanning about four-to-six months. Timing could change based on how well the dog adapts to his or her training. 

The dogs will be 14 months of age or older.