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16 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 3, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Puppies need a foster home for Christmas By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF It's a tough job -- but rewarding. Foster parents are needed urgently in Oakville -- for puppies destined to become dog guides. Since these dogs are committed, at birth to their vocation, if you're not ready to be a pet owner -- or if you're considering growing your four-legged family, but are just shy of committing -- the Lions Foundation may have a mutually beneficial deal for you. The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides trains dog guides for people who need assistance because of visual, hearing or other physical challenges. It then provides the dogs to people from across Canada at no charge. It has facilities in both Oakville and Breslau in Waterloo Region. Fulfilling that tall order is made possible not only through donations, but also through hard work. Among the many who help get the job done are those who foster puppies destined to become dog guides. The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, headquartered at Kerr and Rebecca Streets (152 Wilson St.), needs a lot of help with fostering. "We are expecting 50 or more puppies to be born before Christmas and as a result we are in desperate need of new foster families to provide homes for these dogs for their first year of life," Melissa Eckersley, communications co-ordinator for Lions Foundation of Canada/Dog Guides Canada. According to Eckersley, the Oakville kennel is expanding to double its size as a project that was born of the program's 25th anniversary. While construction to take the RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER GETTING READY FOR WORK: Dog Guides Canada is expanding its kennel to expand the number of dogs it can provide to people so lots of new puppies are on the way -- in fact more than 50 before this Christmas and foster homes are urgently needed, according to Communications Co-ordinator Melissa Eckersley pictured here with some dog guides and future dog guides. Oakville kennel from a 50-dog to a 100-dog capacity is being staged, puppies are now starting to be born who will eventually be housed during training in Oakville. For the first year of their life, a guide dog grows and receives basic training in a foster home. Then the dog returns to the kennel for specialized training before being paired with a challenged individual. Often at "graduation," foster families meet the person with whom their "dog" will be living. "There are always lots of tears shed, but they're happy ones," said Eckersley, explaining many foster families go on to foster other dogs. While that has led to a solid base of foster homes, the upcoming expansion of both kennel and number of dogs to be provided for people, means new foster homes are required. The foundation is putting out the call to anyone who may be interested. Eckersley explained all costs, such as food and veterinarian bills, for the dog are borne by the foundation. Foster families are required to attend puppy classes with their foster pooch, but those occur less than once a month throughout the year. The foundation is available with support and advice and makes home visits to monitor its wards. Eckersley said fostering is a unique opportunity for a family considering, but never having had a dog before. "It's a unique opportunity and we're with you every step of the way," she said. While foster families provide basic training like obedience, basic manners and house training, the dog guide's specialized training is done upon their return to the kennel, with a trainer who spends up to a year with them. There are some special rules for future dog guides however. They cannot be fostered by people who work as it is best for them to go as many places as possible -- from the grocery store to the theatre -- and Eckersley said that while they do not bear the same exemption status as an officially-qualified dog guide, they do wear a vest indicating they are a future dog guide, which, she said, is respected and tolerated, if not openly welcomed, by most businesses in the community. Oh, and future dog guides can't bunk down with their foster family members either. There is a strict rule that future dog guides must not sleep with their owners as they must function as a guide dog, not a pet. Fostering a dog when you already have another pet, is totally acceptable, too, said Eckersley, noting the dog must adapt to every situation. "In case they're scared of that fire truck or something, we need to know," said Eckersley, noting foster parents are urged to take the dogs as many places as possible, including on the bus, the mall and even work and school. There is also a Temporary Home program that is an alternative for people unable to make the one-year commitment to foster a future Dog Guide. Not only does it offer a lesser commitment for fostering and could be taken on by those who work full time, but it also provides relief to foster families that may want a vacation or need a break for a variety of reasons. "We have six litters born already and within the month, we'll have five or six more," said Eckersley, doing the math on five to eight pups per litter. "It adds up," she said. The kennel expansion project is a goal generated to mark the milestone of the foundation's 25th anniversary and works with the goal of increasing the number of dog guides provided to those in need annually. This year, the foundation hopes to be able to make 120 dogs available to those who need them. Contact Lions Foundation of Canada/Dog Guides Canada, 152 Wilson St., 905-842-2891, e-mail puppyprogram@dogguides.com or visit www.dogguides.com.