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
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's 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.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.