Imagine being able to transform someone’s life with the gift of independence. That is what a professionally trained Guide Dog or Autism Support Dog can do for someone who is blind or visually impaired, or a child with moderate to severe autism.  To someone who is blind or visually impaired, a Guide Dog means enhanced mobility, facilitated safe navigation and the confidence to explore one's surroundings in a way that may not have otherwise been possible. 

To the parent of a child with autism, an Autism Support Dog means increased safety, security and support for their little one. It means being able to do simple things the rest of us take for granted, like going to the supermarket, the mall or the park. In essence, it means being able to experience childhood, instead of missing out. Children with autism often exhibit bolting behaviour, suddenly running off out of the parent's control, potentially into a dangerous situation like traffic. When this happens, an Autism Support Dog sits down to anchor the child – who is tethered to the dog – preventing the child from bolting. Autism Support Dogs provide companionship and comfort, as well as help to reduce the child’s anxiety and improve social skills. The dog also accompanies the child to school, creating awareness and serving as an educational tool for developmental disabilities.

Each one of our newborn pups has the potential to grow up to change someone's life. We started this crowdfunding campaign to provide our new arrivals with the care and training they need to become prospective Guide Dogs and Autism Support Dogs. From the time they are 8 weeks old, our little guys and gals work hard on their socialization and obedience, which will prepare them for advanced training in the future. With your support, they can grow up to make a profound difference in someone's life.

While our services are provided at no cost to recipients, it takes two years and up to $35,000 to breed, raise and train one of these furry heroes-in-the-making. Your gift will provide our pups-in-training with the care and support they need to become prospective Guide Dogs and Autism Support Dogs. In addition to helping fund our professional training programs, your gift will go towards basic necessities for our dogs, including veterinary care and equipment, harnesses, jackets, leashes and toys. Your gift will also be used to secure dedicated volunteer Puppy Raisers to care for our pups and teach them basic obedience and socializations skills from the time they are 7-8 weeks to 15-18 months old.

BC & Alberta Guide Dogs is a registered charity. We have graduated 109 Guide Dog teams and 32 Autism Support Dog teams to date – and the demand for our services is rapidly growing. We are not government funded and rely on the generosity of donors like you, as well special events and fundraisers, to fund our programs. Read more about the work we do here.