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Langley walks to help Lions provide dog guides

Four-legged friends helping disabled people
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Ukita is a four-year-old yellow Labrador that is partnered with Langley’s Cory Carter, thanks to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. (Special to the Langley Advance Times)

Langley is one of 300 communities across the country that will be hosting a Walk for Dog Guides later this month, and Langley’s Cory Carter can attest to how important the event is to people living with varying disabilities.

He is a diabetic, and his canine companion, Ukita – a four-year-old yellow Labrador – is with him all the time to help alert when his sugar levels unexpectedly drop.

“The great thing about Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG) is you’re not just focusing on one thing. They help different groups of people from diabetics to autism to blind hearing, seizure and people in wheelchairs,” Carter explained. “They do such good with these dogs and rely on these walks to make it possible.”

The Langley walk, sponsored by Pet Valu, is being held Sunday, May 26, starting at 10 a.m. at the West Langley Hall, with all money raised going to LFCDG.

PAST COVERAGE: VIDEO – Guide dog walk gives participant a new ‘leash’ on life

According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, one in five Canadians had disabilities that limited them in their daily activity.

That is why this spring, Canadians and their four-legged friends are preparing to walk together for the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides. The largest fundraising endeavor of its kind, the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides helps to raise, train, and place dog guides with Canadians who have a medical or physical disability.

Each of the walks is organized by local volunteers with support from Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides and Pet Valu stores.

Held annually, the walk has raised more than $17 million to date. Organizers say 100 per cent of the funds raised by each walker will go directly towards seven dog guide programs:

· Canine vision dog guides, for people who are blind or visually impaired

· Hearing dog huides, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

· Service dog guides, for people with a physical disability

· Seizure response dog guides, for people who have epilepsy

· Autism assistance dog guides, for children on the autism spectrum

· Diabetic alert dog guides, for people who have diabetes with hypoglycemic unawareness

· Support dog guides, for professional agencies with individuals in traumatic situations

Lions Foundation of Canada is a national charity whose mission is to assist Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them dog guides at no cost.

To date, more than 3,000 dog guides have been placed with individuals across Canada.

While the cost of raising, training and placing a dog guide with a qualifying Canadian is approximately $25,000, they are provided free of charge to qualifying Canadians.

Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides receives no government funding and relies solely on donations from individuals, corporations, and fundraising activities. This is why the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides is so important.

By participating in the walk, people can help provide life-changing dog guides to Canadians with disabilities.

For more information, to register for the Langley walk, or to make a donation, people can visit:www.walkfordogguides.com.

• Stay tuned to the Langley Advance Times for more about the walk and Cory



Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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