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Dog Guide foster families sought The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides is seeking volunteer foster families to raise future Dog Guide puppies. The job of entails taking in a puppy at approximately eight weeks of age, house and crate training, according to provided guidelines, and helping the pup meet various obedience and socialization milestones. As foster families attend scheduled veterinary appointments and obedience classes once a month, residing within an hour's drive of Lions Foundation's facilities in Oakville and Breslau, Ont., are recommended. "These puppies have a very special destiny as Dog Guides, so it's a bit different than raising a pet dog," said Puppy Program co-ordinator Sam Hobbes in a media release. "They need to be exposed to many public settings, situations and people, so foster families are encouraged to include their puppy in most of their daily activities outside the home." Puppies wear a green `Future Dog Guide' jacket, and foster families take them anywhere the puppy's future handler might go, from the grocery store, on the bus or sporting events. Families are advised not to not leave the puppy alone for more than a few hours each day. At one year of age, the dog is called back to the foundation's centre to start formal training with a professional instructor in one of six programs -- sight, hearing ear, service, seizure response, autism assistance, and diabetic alert. "Foster families are incredibly special people who can look past eventually giving up their puppy, and see what they are giving to its future handler," Hobbes said. "As a charity, they make this work possible." Dog food, veterinary care, obedience classes, and support are all included. Lions Foundation has provided specially-trained service dogs to Canadians with physical and medical disabilities for more than 30 years. The majority of Dog Guides come from the organization's established breeding program, and are mainly Labrador retrievers and standard poodles. To date, more than 2,500 Dog Guides have been paired with people across Canada. The cost of raising, training and matching a Dog Guide is approximately $25,000, but none of that cost is passed on to the qualifying applicant. The Lions Foundation receives no government funding. For more information, visit www. dogguides.com/foster.html or email Puppy Program co-ordinator Sam Hobbes at shobbes@dogguides.com. 13 | Friday, October 14, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Reduce Reuse Recycle visit our Gallery corner of Bronte & Dundas 905-827-3331 fasada.ca Open Invitation for everyone Saturday, Oct 22nd. 2:30pm - 4:30pm Our Guests: Mayor Rob Burton, MPs and MPPs Ambassadors from Turkey and Pakistan will also be in attendance Oakville Town Hall: 1225 Trafalgar Rd. Oakville, ON. L6H 0H3