Dozens take part in walk for guide dogs in Orillia
It was a perfect fall forecast Sunday as dozens turned out in Orillia for a walk to raise funds for guide dogs across Canada.
The annual Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides started at Couchiching Park in Orillia Sunday morning. Participants united with a shared goal of bringing in funds for the Lions Foundation of Canada to help cover the costs of raising and training dog guides.
"The end goal is to raise enough money and awareness for people across Canada and in Orillia…to show them that these dogs are needed," says Laura Joyce, the organizer of Orillia's walk who herself uses a guide dog. "This provides independence and peace of mind and just to make sure that we as different-labelled Canadians, I'm speaking for myself, that we have these dogs to make our life better, brighter and can work alongside our non-accessibility challenged colleagues."
Joyce has been a part of the run for more than a decade. She stresses its importance in benefiting the Lions Foundation of Canada, which does not receive any government funding. She says access to guide dogs has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"A lot of Canadians went to the other side of the 49th parallel, the United States, and with all the travel restrictions they aren't able to get a dog in the states right now, so more, and more need has been required of the Lions Foundation of Canada because there's more and more people staying in Canada to get their service dog," says Joyce.
According to Joyce, the average cost to train a single guide dog is $35,000. The event typically brings in up to $7,000 annually. For Erin O'Reilly, the owner of Orillia's Pet Valu, the event's significance and importance is evident based on how it has helped Laura Joyce.
"Hers is a seeing-eye dog, so it gave her her life back," says O'Reilly. "She's able to go around town, she's able to do normal things, and that was exciting. So to be a part of that and being able to help another person is great!"
For information on how you can help, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
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.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
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.
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.
'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.
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.