Submitted by: Corey Hurren | Author and former Bowsman resident Kelley Post and her husband Larry were at the Swan Valley Co-op on Saturday, October 14, 2017 selling her book “The Pet Affection” which was just released in August. The subject of the book is about “Understanding The Love Connection With Our Pets” and sells for $18.
Kelley is donating $12 from each book towards the purchase of a Dog Guide from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Each Dog Guide costs approximately $25,000 and are provided at no cost to Canadians with disabilities.
Kelley said that one of the 27 contributors to her book “The Pet Affection” has just recently passed away. Lion Beatrice Barnard lost her ten year battle with cancer on Friday, Oct. 6th. “It is now even more important to me that we honor Beatrice and her devotion to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.” said Kelley.
Lion Beatrice, pictured above left
Lion Beatrice had just been named as one of the “Patrons for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides” in September. Lion Beatrice was also a Lions Club Director for Manitoba, Northwest Ontario, and Nunavut Chair for Lions District 5M11. In “The Pet Affection” Lion Beatrice tells the story of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides as well as her own personal dog story related to her struggle with cancer. In honor of Lion Beatrice there will be a Guide Dog named “Beatrice” with the money Kelley is donating.
Kelley says that with the $500 she will be donating from the book sales and donations on Saturday, only a few thousand dollars will now be required to provide another Dog Guide for someone in need. She would like to thank Corey Hurren and the Bowsman Lions Club, the Swan Valley CO-OP, Heather Kirkpatrick, Leanne Hutman, the Swan Valley Star and Times, ValleyBiz, and all the wonderful folks who bought her book and made monetary donations for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.
“The Pet Affection” can also be ordered online here: http://petaffection.ca/product-category/book-and-more/
Below is an excerpt from “The Pet Affection” of Lion Beatrice telling the story of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides:
The Lions Foundation of Canada was founded in 1983 with Lions Clubs across Canada. The vision was to provide Dog Guides at no cost to Canadians with visual disabilities, helping them to achieve greater safety and independence. Since then, the Lions Foundation has discovered new ways for Dog Guides to change lives and has six programs that help a growing number of Canadians each year.
Each Dog Guide costs approximately $25,000 yet they are provided at no cost to Canadians with disabilities. This incredible gift of greater independence is made possible only through the dedicated support and generosity of several groups. From the foster families who raise the puppies to the Lions, Lioness, and Leo Clubs, individual organizations and corporate donors who provide financial backing, each pillar of support makes the Lions Foundation work possible.
The Lions Foundation began with the Canine Vision Dog Guide program in 1985 ensuring graduates would “never walk alone.”
In 1988, the Lions Foundation expanded with a Hearing Dog Guide program and began providing Dog Guides to Canadians who are deaf or hard of hearing. This program ensures Dog Guide handlers would have a “link to the world of sound.”
In 1991, a third Dog Guide program, Service Dog Guides (formerly known as Special Skills) was added to extend Dog Guide capabilities to individuals with other physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or injury due to accident. These Dog Guides ensure their handlers “will never be alone.”
The Service program expanded in 2008, with the introduction of the Seizure Response Dog Guides. These Dog Guides are trained to assist people with epilepsy or seizure disorder by responding to the onset of their seizures.
The Autism Assistance Dog Guides program was founded in 2009. These Dog Guides help provide safety, companionship and unconditional love for children who have autism spectrum disorder. In addition to providing comfort and consistency for both the child and their family, Autism Assistance Dog provide a calming relief for children in high anxiety situations, and help reduce this stress commonly experienced in public places. Bonding with the Dog Guide helps both the child and their family gain increased independence and social interaction.
The newest program, Diabetic Alert Dog Guides, was launched in late 2013. These Dog Guides are trained to assist people who have type 1 diabetes with hypoglycemic unawareness. They detect sudden drops in their handler’s blood sugar through scent and alert them so they can test their blood sugar and eat something. They also bark for help or activate an alert system if needed. Their ability to detect and react to hypoglycemic episodes helps to handle or avoid loss of consciousness and subsequent life-threatening effects.
To date, over 2500 Dog Guide teams have graduated with approximately 900 active teams currently across Canada. But the wait list is long and the demand for Dog Guides has seen a dramatic increase. While we are encouraged by the greater demand we need to ensure the funding is in place to provide Dog Guides at no cost to the client.
Beatrice Barnard
Lion’s Club Director for Manitoba, Northwest Ontario, and Nunavut, Chair for 5M11