The Martensville & District Lions Club has been busy preparing for the 8th annual Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, which will be taking place at the Lions Park at 415 6th Avenue South on Sunday, May 29th. Registration will take place at 1:30pm, with the walk at 2:00pm and a BBQ at 3:00pm.
Project Chairperson Doug Ward of the Lions Club stated that although they won’t know how many walkers will be participating until the day of the event, there have been lots of people stating they will be attending.
“I am hoping for approximately 100 people with about 50 dogs. We have the Saskatoon Lions Club joining us this year, so there could be more and our motto is ‘the more the merrier’,” Ward said.
Currently, the local Lions Club is waiting to receive two dog guides for individuals within the community; one Hearing Assistance Dog for a family where both parents are hearing impaired and the previous dog passed away, and another a high school student that requires the assistance of a Special Service Dog. Ward noted that both dogs have been delayed due to Covid restrictions making it difficult to proceed with the rigorous training required for service dogs.
“The Lions Foundation of Canada is expanding their facilities so they can increase the number of dogs they provide to people that need them. They have provided up to 300 service dogs per year and hope to provide more in the future as the need is there, especially for Autism Assistance Guide Dogs,” Ward explained.
Guide dogs provided through the Lions Foundation of Canada are free of charge for individuals, compared to going through a private training group, where these dogs can cost upwards of $25,000 to $35,000. In order to provide Guide Dogs to families in need, Lions Clubs across the country rely on donations throughout the year and through events such as the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides.
Anyone interested in supporting this event can do so by visiting www.walkfordogguides.com and either registering to participate in the event, or making a donation. Donations of cans and bottles can also be made, which will go towards supporting this event. Donations can either be picked up or donated through SARCAN Drop & Go using the name Martensville Lions Club or customer number 057302053. To arrange for pickup, call (306) 491-8914 or (306) 290-6766.
“We invite everyone to come on out and support this case and help provide a life changing dog for a family in need,” Ward stated.
For more information about this event, or to find out how you can help support this community initiative, contact Project Chairperson Lion Doug Ward at 306-491-8914.
