Puppies in training: Calgary volunteers sought to help raise service dogs

Volunteers wanted to raise service dogs The Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) needs volunteers to help raise its latest litter of pups – to become service dogs.

A litter of eight-week old Labrador puppies will soon be hitting the streets preparing to become service dogs and Calgary volunteers are needed to help.

Pacific Assistance Dogs society (PADS) is seeking volunteer puppy-raising families and corporate sponsors to fund the care and training of each puppy before they are matched with someone in need.

Families are needed to love and train each puppy until they are 18 months old. The volunteer families will also help socialize the puppies by taking them with them everywhere including work, school, stores – even the movies.

“Who doesn’t want to have a puppy that gets to go with you everywhere?,” said Miranda Turenne a PADS dog trainer.

“So for me this is the volunteer opportunity that fills my heart and my life and I get to give back to people so it’s the best thing it’s ever done.”

Sponsors help fund this training which can cost up to $35,000 per puppy.

PADS is a fully accredited member of Assistance Dogs International. Its service dogs help people with mobility, PTSD or hearing disabilities achieve independence. This comes at no charge to the client.

“They are opening doors literally and figuratively,” explained Turenne.

“They are normalizing life with a disability for a lot of people in our community who may even be feeling isolated, so the impact they have on our clients is incredible.”

PADS relies entirely on sponsors and volunteers to make this possible and is asking anyone interested in helping prepare this latest batch of pups to contact them.

The organization is also open to volunteers who can’t commit to a full 18 months, or prefer to help with puppies who are already leash and potty-trained.

PADS is also looking for a new home since its current space will no longer be available after April.

PADS is a registered charity, operating in Calgary since 1999. It also trains accredited facility dogs which work in the community with teachers, RCMP officer and psychologists.