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Wednesdsay March 31,1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A3 Photo by Peter C. McCusker Graduation'Night at CVC Canine Vision for "Chile". Patrick St. Louis of Ottawa received his special needs dog at the ceremony and Mark and Julie Sumner of Whitby say goodbye to the puppy they fostered for the program. G u id e D o g s g iv e r e c ip i e n t s a b i l i ty t o b e i n d e p e n d e n t By Sandra Ohman SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Robert Fudge can give you the exact time and day of the motorcycle acci­ dent that left him confined to a wheel­ chair four years ago. Now he has another date to remem­ ber. The soft spoken 23-year-old Gravenhurst resident, was one of 15 graduates from across Canada to receive their new Dog Guides at the Lions Foundation o f Canada Dog Guide Training School in Oakville, Thursday night. The Lions Foundation was filled to capacity as sponsors, foster families, and other supporters of the dog guide program celebrated the completion of the intensive three-week training pro­ gram. Fudge is still adjusting to life after his accident, but already he feels better after receiving his guide, a golden retriever named Omaha. Fudge considers Omaha the best friend he has ever had. Not only will he feel safer with the dog around, but most of all, Fudge said he will not be so lone- i Iy'! The Dog Guide School is well > known for its Canine Vision Canada f (CVC) program for the blind or visual- ; ly impaired, but the school also offers i a Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada (HED) j program and a Special Skills Dogs of | Canada (SSD) program. HED dogs lead the deaf or hard of hearing to a sound while SSD dogs, such as Omaha, enhance the lives of the physically and medically disabled. Omaha has been trained to turn light switches on and off, open doors, retrieve items, help Fudge transfer from his wheelchair to the bed and can acti­ vate an alert system (Life Line). He even removes clothes from the dryer. It costs $10,000 to train and place a l Special Skills Dog like Omaha, but dog | guide recipients pay nothing. All expenses are covered through sponsor­ ship. Judy Breault, 46, a resident of Toronto, is very grateful to all those involved in the dog guides program. Thursday she received her second dog, a black labrador named Minnie. Breault has been blind since the age of eight when she contracted a rare form of cancer of the retina. Her last dog, Kary, died six months ago after contracting cancer of the nose and had to be put to sleep. Breault was eager to get another dog, so when Minnie became available she jumped at the opportunity. After having had a dog guide, Breault felt lost without one. "The guide dogs are my eyes," said Breault. "It's like I have sight again and they make you feel so indepen­ dent." They can also save your life. Breault recounted a time when she was walking with Kary on a construc­ tion site and the dog suddenly stopped and would not move. Breault reached out to see if she could feel something when suddenly a worker yelled at her to stay still: she was standing at the edge of a huge hole. The safety provided by the dog guides is a great source of comfort to Brendan Boyle. His 29-year-old wife, Rhonda, cannot hear and is often left alone while he travels. This used to cause him a lot of worry, but not now. Rhonda's new dog guide Harley, a skye terrier cross, is going to act as her ears. She plans to use him at home and take him to work with her. Boyle said Harley will be indispens­ able to her work as an itinerant teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the Halton District Catholic School Board. "He will help me with the school bell, letting me know when it rings between classes and when people call my name," she said. "It will be a big change and make me a lot more inde­ pendent." This new life is going to benefit Harley, as well. Even though he will be working close to 24 hours a day with only a half hour out of harness, it is bet­ ter than his previous life. Harley is what is known as a "rescue dog" as he was obtained from the Humane Society. While the Dog Guide Training School breeds its own dogs, it also relies on donations from breeders as well as obtaining dogs from the Humane Society. Puppies, and rescue dogs under six months, are placed with foster families until they are 12-14 months old at which point they are returned to the school for months of intensive training. The foster families provide the dogs with love and opportunities for social­ ization while the Lions Foundation pays all veterinarian expenses. The love and attachment the foster families feel for these dogs was evident at the graduation ceremony as they watched the dogs going to their new homes with a mixture of pride and sad­ ness. Julie Appleton, her husband George, and sons Drew, 11, and Christopher, 7, were one such family in attendance to see Grover the black labrador they had fostered. Appleton was overcome with emo­ tion when Grover's graduation with Helen Kitchen, 39, of Cambridge, was announced. Yet asked if she would do it again she answered with a firm yes while wiping away her tears. "It is a wonderful family project," she said, "and I think it is lovely for the children to learn about community service and charity without just writ­ ing a cheque because they give their time and they give of themselves." Appleton met with Kitchen after­ wards and shared stories and laughter about Grover's puppyhood. For his part, even though Grover had not seen the Appletons for a year, he had not forgotten them either. Once out of his harness, he bounded over to the family landing licks wherever he could. To foster a puppy, sponsor a dog or volunteer your services contact Sally Turney, M arketing & Communications Manager, Lions Foundation of Canada at (905) 842- 2891 or (800) 768-3030. R e t ir e m e n t s e m in a r s o n S a tu r d a y s The Oakville Parks and Recreation Department is offering a two-day retirement planning series on Saturday April 17th and 24th from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Sir John Colbome Recreation Centre for Seniors. The cost is $35 per person or $65 per couple for two sessions. Lunch is included. Participants must register in advance, by April 9th. Call 815-5960. Professional Expertise with a Consistent and Disciplined A pproach to M eeting Your Investment Objectives Paul Hartford I n v e s t m e n t A d v i s o r T e l : ( 9 0 5 ) 3 3 7 - 2 0 3 0 F a x : ( 9 0 5 ) 3 3 7 - 2 0 3 3 I T tfSE NESBITT BURNS t Mercedes-Benz M ERAY M OTORS CUSTO M ER SERVICE CLIN IC Meray Motors is conducting a no-charge Customer Service Clinic, and invites you to «Lend at your convenience, on April 5 and April 6,1999. Our factory-trained technicians will conduct a complete 30 to 45 minute inspection. Representatives from Mercedes- Benz Canada Inc. will also be on hand to serve you. Please contact our Service Department at 905-845-6623 to set up a no-charge appoint­ ment that is convenient to you. At Meray Motors we are as careful about servicing your Mercedes-Benz as you were about buying it. M eray M otors & Collision L im ited QEW & Dorval Drive, Oakville 845-6623 w w w .m eraym oto rs.m ercedes-benz.ca lUMMluk 40 E aster F east a t m useum The Halton Region Museum in Kelso C o n s e r v a t io n Area on Sunday, April 4th, for 'Easter Feast & Fetch.' The museum, a 19th century home­ stead beneath the N i a g a r a Escarpment. The feast begins at 11:30 a.m. with an Easter Brunch in the historic Hearth Room Cafe. Later in the day, museum staff and volun­ teers will serve Easter Tea and special Easter treat plates will be offered from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Two Easter Egg Hunts will be conducted for children 12 years and under on the grounds. P re -reg is tra ­ tion is required for 'Easter Feast & Fetch.' To order tickets, call the Halton Region Museum at 905-875-2200. R e d e sig n e d , A ll-N e w N e o n It s here, a new cor for the New Millennium. The Neon 2000. The fun and agility of a sports sedan with the maturity and substantial feel that defines the new breed of Chrysler passenger T it A ir Conditioning 6 0 /4 0 Split Steering / Folding Rea? Seat cars. LEASE FOR 2 9 ? for 48 months. FREIGHT IN C LU D ED * 2 9 9 DOWN Next Generation Dual A ir Bags Tinted Glass Remote Trunk Release 2.0L 16V 132hp 4 Cylinder Engine Automatic Transmission LEASE/MONTH $299* DOWNPAYMENT $299* FREIGHT INCLUDED AIR TAX INCLUDED GST/PST $44.85 4-Wheel Independent Suspension AM /FM Stereo Side Impact Complimentary ~ • 1 -- - Child-Protection Tank of FuelCassette with CD Controls & Ports Beams Rear Door Locks C h ille r customers always read the fine print. tT lus is a limited time offer to retail deliveries for personal use only o f all new in-stock 2000 Neons. Retail order or dealer trade may be necessary. Leasing/Financing subject to approval by Chrysler LL---- ,pl us *> *■ fcikmeters are limited to 25,200 and a charge of $0 09/km for excess. 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