A Berner joins the Service

Arina's Benevolent Berner has joined PADS, Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, as a puppy in training. She was donated to PADS by Greg and Sharlene Whittaker from their last litter, Arina's Maximum Masquerade (Flame) x Ursa Majors Stellar Bandit (Bandit).

"She is 5 months old now and so focused on her puppy raisers, Krista & Ryan. Krista comments that she fits into whatever situation you want her to. If she is teaching her gymnastic classes, Marlo lays quietly on her mat, does an awesome stay with very minimal breaks of the command. (no leash) Her classes are about 100 children in a gym so it's a huge distraction. Plus the kids are always coming up to talk to her – she doesn't even budge, just watches her mom. If they want her to be excited and play, she does. Most of all, she just aims to please so they really are enjoying her."

Pacific Assistance Dogs Society

Pacific Assistance Dogs Society is a non-profit organization that was established in 1987. PADS promote the use of assistance dogs in British Columbia and all of Western Canada. To date, the Society has trained and placed over 50 dogs.

PADS dogs are specially trained to aid the physically disabled, the deaf, the hearing impaired and the developmentally delayed members of our community. They are a great support for persons unable to perform simple tasks such as turning on light switches, retrieving dropped items, or even answering telephones. They also instill their recipients with a greater sense of self-confidence and independence.

Many people are aware of the need for guide dogs for the blind, but do not realize the need for assistance dogs for persons with other disabilities. According to Statistics Canada, there are approximately 240,325 mobility impaired, 241,300 agility impaired and 170,985 hearing impaired people in BC alone, and this is only a part of the population that PADS attempt to service.

PADS places dogs throughout the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba without government support. The program relies solely on donations from community groups, foundations, corporations and individuals in order to keep its puppy raising, training and placement programs running. This funding is also applied to the cost of training and placing each working dog: PADS' clients do not bear this financial responsibility.

Many PADS applicants who are waiting to receive an assistance dog would rather gain their independence by relying on a canine helper than by relying on another person. Their dogs become life-long companions, loving friends and constant forms of support. As a result, Pacific Assistance Dogs Society's goals are to increase the general public's awareness of the need for assistance dogs, to maintain its raising, training and placement programs and to gain much needed financial support from the community.

"Dogs That Make A Difference " Service Dogs For the physically disabled, mobility or agility impaired, service dogs are trained to procure and pick up objects, turn light switches on and off, assist with shopping, push elevator buttons, assist their recipients with dressing, carry parcels, pull wheelchairs, and even pick up a dime or credit card from the floor. Service dogs also function as support structures for people with conditions that affect their balance. Each member of the team is matched by work capability and personality, and every dog is trained to meet its recipient's everyday needs.

For more information call PADS at (604) 527-0556.