CHEK Upside: BC and Alberta Guide Dogs in search of puppy raisers

A group that helps train guide dogs is looking for puppy raisers on Vancouver Island.

B.C. and Alberta Guide Dogs is a registered charity that has trained hundreds of guide dogs for various different needs.

“We breed, raise and train service dogs for occupational stress injury, autism support and guide dogs,” says Matthias Lenz, the manager of BC and Alberta Guide Dog’s puppy raising program.

A major part of the program are the volunteer puppy raisers, who help house and train puppies from eight weeks old to 12 to 14 weeks old.

“It’s looking after but also training the dogs, so it really is a job that’s pretty full time,” says Lenz.

“So most of our puppy raisers are either retired or work part time from home and there’s a lot of training that goes in from the puppy raisers already.”

This year with travel restrictions easing and Islanders planning vacations abroad, B.C. and Alberta Guide Dogs are in need of more volunteer puppy raisers.

“The Island and Calgary we’re struggling a lot finding puppy raisers right now because everybody’s traveling and in the beginning we can’t board the dogs,” says Lenz.

“For the first four months we need a commitment that you’re not going away without your dog.”

It’s a job that the current volunteers with the program love.

“It does have its challenges especially in the beginning learning the steps, the basic sit then to coming and now she’s able to do so many things,” says volunteer Janetta Novsckova.

“There’s a lot of work involved, but it pays off because you see that the dog learns and they become respectful and so on so it’s been quite neat to do,” adds fellow volunteer Jackie Brien.

For more information about the program, you can visit the B.C. and Alberta Guide Dogs website.

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