CNIB seeking volunteers in Regina to raise future guide dogs

If you love dogs and have some room in your home, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) has an offer for you.

The CNIB is seeking volunteers in Regina to help raise some future guide dogs by having them adopt a puppy for a year.

“Who doesn’t love a puppy to start with, right? But they’re raising a puppy to be someone’s independence in the future,” said Christall Beaudry, the CNIB’s executive director in Saskatchewan.

The puppy raiser will be responsible for teaching the dogs basic obedience and to get them socialized into new environments. Training will be provided by the CNIB, and costs like food and vet bills will be covered.

“Anytime you’re raising a puppy, it requires some patience … I can speak from my own experience with a puppy at home, chewing things and teaching toilet training, there’s a lot of time that’s involved in making sure the puppy learns basic obedience,” Beaudry said.

She said they’re looking for people 18 and older, who are comfortable with dogs, have a vehicle and are willing to give up the puppy once it’s ready to enter guide dog training.

There are 14,300 blind and partially sighted people in Saskatchewan.

To learn more or to apply, visit the CNIB’s website.