'On hold': How the pandemic has affected getting guide dogs to those who need them

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Demand for guide dogs has surged during the pandemic, but border closures and COVID-19 restrictions have prevented the majority of foreign-trained dogs from entering Canada and has delayed training domestically, making it harder than ever to get that life-changing partnership. 

“We are probably a month or two behind where we would typically be at right now,” Alex Ivic, manager of development at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind (CGDB), told CTV News.

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People currently on CGDB’s waitlist could be waiting between three and 12 months to complete the process and acquire a guide dog, he said.

The pandemic has closed off the border for American-trained dogs. It has also pushed guide dog providers domestically to scale back in-person lessons, which teach owners how to adjust to their new companions.

Some people who were seeking a guide dog were worried about travelling to the CGDB headquarters in Ottawa to work with the dogs, and had to cancel indefinitely.

“It has impacted a few individuals,” Ivic said, lamenting how people are “really on hold until everything gets a little safer.”

Guide dogs provide independence, confidence and a sense of security for people with visual impairments. Their training can take anywhere from five months to two years, depending on the dog and the organization.

Mike Fulton got on the list in August to receive a dog. He says that without one, he was largely confined to his home during the pandemic.

“I’m totally reliant on sighted guides to come and get me and take me everywhere,” Fulton said. “With everybody being so paranoid with COVID-19, they just don’t want to go out.”

Fulton is working with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), a group plagued by even greater delays and demand that’s gone up 300 per cent.

The CNIB’s dogs are born and bred in Australia, and right now, 11 are temporarily being raised there too.

“The border closure has stopped us from being able to get those dogs into Canada,” Diane Bergeron, president of CNIB, told CTV News. “So our supply went down and our demand went up.”

Despite the challenges, Fulton finally met Erik, his new furry partner, this month.

“He’s going to be my new battle buddy,” Fulton said. “It’s going to be fantastic.”