Must love dogs – National Service Dogs looking for puppy raisers

A puppy rests its paw on the bars of an enclosure in Kitchener on Nov. 20, 2024. (Sidra Jafri/CTV News)

People who love dogs have an opportunity to take care of a puppy for free, while also making a difference in someone else’s life.

National Service Dogs is looking for puppy raisers to help take care of dogs with an important future ahead of them.

The specially-trained dogs can help improve the lives of someone living with autism, veterans and first responders with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as people living with mental or physical trauma.

But before the dogs are put to work, they need to grow up in a loving home. That’s where a team of volunteers comes in.

Puppy raisers needed

Caregivers will receive a dog and take care of it for about a year. During that time, the cost of vet bills, food and all other necessities will be covered by National Service Dogs.

The puppies will also be picked up for service dog training on most mornings and then be dropped off back at home later that same day.

Caregivers will be responsible for the dog’s socialization and exposing the dog to new people, places and experiences. They will also take on duties related to basic training.

Lindsay Mustard, who has been working with the organization for about two years, has fostered service puppies and worked as a puppy school carpooler.

“I think there’s a lot of joy that comes from spending time with animals,” she told CTV News on Wednesday. “A lot of people will come up when you are handling them, and a dog never fails to put a smile on someone’s face.”

What’s required?

Puppy raisers will take on a dog from about 8-weeks-old until they reach the age of 14 to 16 months. According to National Service Dogs, they are looking for volunteers who are patient, dedicated and willing to learn about service dogs.

Anyone who wants to be a part of the program also needs to be able to give the dog back at the end of their puppyhood.

“It makes it easier when you see a picture of the dog with the kid [they are helping], or just hearing the story of the family of how long they’ve been waiting for the dog,” Mustard explained. “It’s more of just a selfless act of knowing that you had a hand in raising [the dog], but it’s also [off] to do bigger and better things.”

According to the National Service Dogs website, the ideal candidate lives within 45 minutes of Kitchener, Waterloo or Cambridge, can commit to regular puppy training classes in the evening and has a maximum of two dogs in their home over one-year of age.

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the National Service Dogs website for more information.

“If I get to play with dogs all day and take them everywhere with me, I don’t think it’s too bad of a volunteer position,” Mustard said, smiling.