Fire department welcomes new therapy support dog
The Huntsville and Lake of Bay fire departments have added a furry member to their team.
Ember, a four-month-old chocolate lab, is their new therapy support dog.
"We just figured this was one more tool in the toolbox to help our members," says Huntsville Fire Chief Gary Monahan.
Monahan brought the idea to council last month and it was unanimously approved.
"We have been learning over the last council session the value of fire service and health and wellness for the firefighters and making sure that when we're looking at our budgets, we provide them with the tools they need," says Lake of Bays councillor Rick Brooks.
Monahan says Ember has already been impacting the firefighters and municipal staff.
"When you come in the morning, and you see the dog, or you're having a bad day, and Ember comes up with her wagging tail, or she'll sit in your lap, or you feed her treats and take her for a walk, I'll be honest, it takes the stress all away," says Monahan.
"It actually is very calming. You can't really think about much with a puppy jumping around or even a full-grown dog. And as soon as you pet a dog, it's almost meditative, " says Mayor Terry Glover.
Ember was donated by LuckyLabs, a local service dog organization. Care expenses are estimated to be around $4,000 per year, with the cost split between the Township of Lake of Bays and the Town of Huntsville.
"She is here during working hours. If there was a major incident, peer support group, or something else that came up, we would definitely bring Ember in for that," says Ember's handler, Nicole Challis.
After completing her obedience dog training, Ember will undergo service dog training to attend public schools and senior homes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.