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Putting your best paw forward

Upcoming walks raise money for dog guides BY KATHRYN HRYCUSKO Special to the VOICE The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, along with their partner Pet Valu, hopes to raise awareness of individuals in need of service dogs over the next several wee
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Tye Warren and his dog guide Bones are a nearly inseparable pair. KATHRYN HRYCUSKO PHOTO

Upcoming walks raise money for dog guides

BY KATHRYN HRYCUSKO Special to the VOICE

The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, along with their partner Pet Valu, hopes to raise awareness of individuals in need of service dogs over the next several weekends as they host their annual “Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides.”

Nearly 300 walks will take place across the country, most being held on May 26, the National Walk Date, though cities are invited to chose surrounding weekends depending on weather and other events. In the Niagara Region alone, seven walks are taking place: in Port Colborne on May 19, Grimsby, Niagara Falls, St. David’s, Jordan, and Fenwick on May 26, and in St. Catharines on June 9.

The walk is a 5-km-long accessible route with alternative shorter routes available for those unable to do the the longer distance. Though details of events vary from location to location, many include a barbecue and a variety of carnival games and activities.

Communications Manager for the Lions Foundation, Maria Galindo, says that a fan favourite from years past, the puppy kissing booth, could be back at some locations this year.

There is no registration fee to participate in the walk, but donations are welcome and many participants often use the event to raise money for the organization.

The walks bring attention to the work of the Lions Foundation and acts as one of their biggest fundraising event.

“Thanks to it we’re able to continue to provide dog guides at no cost,” said Galindo, “If it wasn’t so successful I’m not sure where we would be.”

Begun in 1983 by the Oakville Lions, with the goal of fundraising money for service dogs, Galindo says that the Lions Foundation for Dog Guides has since “taken on a life of its own," spreading across Canada.

Today, though it still shares the name with its founder, it is its own organization and has provided some 3000 recipients with dog guides. “Dog guides,” as opposed to the more familiar term, guide dogs which refers specifically to dogs for the visually impaired, is used for the specially trained dogs that are paired with individuals with medical, physical, or mental disabilities. The Lions Foundation provides seven different dog guide services to those with disabilities, including to children with autism and to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, have a physical disability, epilepsy, or Type 1 diabetes, as well as to agencies that help individuals in traumatic situations.

The Lions Foundation covers the entire cost of the dogs’ training, from their initial placement with a foster family to their specialized preparation. With the help of Pet Valu, which donates the dog food needed, foster families socialize the dogs until they are one year old. At a special dog university, the dogs then learn the skills unique to the type of dog guide they will become from professional trainers, before being placed with an individual in need. The service also provides the dogs to families at no cost to them.

This process costs approximately $25 000 per pairing, and relies fully on donations, rather than, as Galindo says many people assume, government funding.

“We’re hoping to raise awareness and have more walkers join our walk,” said Galindo. “We need community support and want this to be a success so we can continue to provide dog guides to people that have a medical or physical disability.”

Tye Warren, an energetic and friendly Grade 6 student of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary, in Grimsby, is one of the individuals who has benefitted from the Dog Guide program. Diagnosed at the age of three with Type 1 diabetes, Tye’s mother, Michelle, has applied to get Tye a dog guide every year since his initial diagnosis, but had to wait until Tye was 10 before he could be considered. The family has spent years learning to monitor Tye’s blood sugar levels and responding accordingly, trying all sorts of technology in the process. To them, the idea of having a dog who can sense low blood sugar levels and be Tye’s constant companion was greatly appealing.

In 2018, Tye’s application for a dog guide was approved. He was matched with Bones—or rather, as Michelle says, was chosen by Bones, who stared at Tye across the room during the three weeks that he learned basic training with a number of dogs.

Tye brought Bones, a Black Labrador Retriever, home in December and the two have turned out to be a great match. Bones, whose original name was Arya before being sponsored by the Ice Dogs, provides Tye with three essential services. She can smell when his blood sugar levels drop below 4.5 and alerts him by putting a paw on his lap, or alerts one of his parents if Tye is either not paying attention, is asleep, or if he is unconscious—the latter of which thankfully has not happened says Tye’s father Dean.

Bones can also fetch Tye’s kit, which includes his glucometre, on command, or get one of his parents or brother when told to “go get.” Unlike some dog guides, who are sometimes working, and at other times “off duty,” Bones is constantly monitoring Tye’s blood sugar levels. She accompanies Tye nearly everywhere, including to school, where she has her own crate and her own picture in the yearbook.

Michelle and Dean say that they have seen a definite improvement in Tye’s ability to manage his blood sugar since Bones came into the picture. Before her arrival, they would often get calls from his school that he was unwell and would have to pick him up, but since December this hasn’t happened.

In addition to easing the stress and worry they feel for Tye, his parents think that it has helped him as well.

“It makes him more independent, he can do a lot more things, we’re not hanging over him all the time now,” says Dean.

The Warrens have also found that Bones has proved to be more effective than some of the technology that they have tried in the past, being more sensitive to changes in his blood sugar level than some instruments are.

Now, about six months into their partnership, Bones has settled in well at home and at school, though she did cause a bit of sensation the first week, before becoming regarded as yet another student. At home, Tye’s brother, who was a little unsure about her at first, and the family’s two cats have gotten used to her too.

Michelle says she has also seen a change in Tye.

“Overall having her in the home we’re just finding that Tye is more confident, he can just run outside whenever,” she says. “He’s happier. I think we’re all happier.”

Having Bones has also given Tye a lot more independence to pursue the things he loves, including basketball, soccer, hockey, flag football, and playing with Bones.

“She’s so much fun to have around,” says Tye, whose mother says Bones is just as energetic and busy as he is, making it a good match.

Tye and Bones plan to participate in the Grimsby Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides on Sunday, May 26, as part of Team Bones. In addition to himself and Bones, the team includes Tye’s family and a few of his friends who have told him they plan to come out. To date, Team Bones, with the help and generous contributions of their neighbours, Tye’s school, and family, has raised close to $3800 for the cause. This will be the family’s first year doing the walk, as in the past they have always done walks for Type 1 diabetes instead. Both Tye’s family and the Lions Foundation hope that Niagara residents will come out and join them at one of the upcoming walks to raise awareness of dog guides like Bones.

The Fenwick walk is also scheduled for this Sunday, and is part of the Fenwick Lions Carnival weekend. Registration starts at 9 AM at Centennial Park.