THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023. PAGE 19.
Brussels Lions Club hosts dog guide fundraiser By Scott Stephenson The Citizen March went out like a Lions Club with the Brussels chapter hosting an event to raise money for the Lions Foundation of Canada (LFC) Dog Guides Program. The Lions hosted a turkey dinner at the Brussels Morris and Grey Community Centre on March 30, featuring guest speaker Danielle Rosenblum, the program’s Community Partnerships Manager. Rosenblum sat down with The Citizen to talk about the program. “We’re an organization that serves individuals with disabilities through dog guides. We’re helping Canadians all over the country to live a better life.” The traditional understanding of a service dog would be an animal assisting the visually impaired, and that was the original purpose of the LFC Dog Guides initiative when it was founded as Canine Vision Canada in 1985. The great success of that early program led to explorations of other ways that animal assistance can aid human associates. Currently, LFC has a number of unique educational training avenues for guide dogs, from autism assistance to seizure response. This kind of work is a natural evolution of one of humanity’s oldest relationships. Man and dog have always grown together, developing strength and skills from needing each other in the early days of domestication. The understanding of human love is framed, at least in part, by the
ability to feel emotional attachment and connection to a different species. Rosenblum was impressed with the efforts of the Brussels Lions Club to support this worthy cause. “This event is pushed for by locals and by the club - they really have that passion,” she said, which is the key to a successful community event. LFC Dog Guides is currently raising funds for a new, expanded dog training facility in Oakville. The program handles all aspects of preparing a dog to be matched with a human compatriot. They even have their own breeding program, through which they raise poodles, Labradors, and retrievers all breeds considered to be the best options for service dogs. Each potential service dog is carefully monitored in the early stages of development, and the most promising animals are selected to continue training. “Not all dogs are cut out to be service dogs, and that’s okay,” explained Rosenblum. As for the pups that don’t pass muster? They get adopted out to other homes to live out the rest of their lives. Life has changed a lot since the early days of sitting by a crackling fire, sharing roasted mammoth meat with our half-tamed, lupine brethren. Our society has become a lot more complex, and with it, our need for canine assistance has grown more nuanced. Many people, especially young people, struggle with less obvious disabilities, such as extreme anxiety. Service dogs can be trained to understand
Going to the dogs The Brussels Lions Club hosted a dinner and fundraiser to benefit the Lions Foundation of Canada’s Dog Guides program on Thursday, March 30. From left to right, Blyth Lion Fred DeBoer, Auburn and District Lions Marinus Bakker and Travis Teed, Lions Foundation of Canada’s Dog Guides Community Partnerships Manager Danielle Rosenblum, and Brussels Lion Perry Pearce. (Scott Stephenson photo) emotional distress, and to take action in the event of a crisis. A pair of attendees at the dinner who exemplify the benefits from the human/canine connection were Ella Vandermeer and her English Golden Retriever, Quinn. Vandermeer is a Brussels-based teenager who has been afflicted with intense anxiety for most of her young life, making every day tasks difficult for her. At the height of her childhood difficulty, Vandermeer often had to miss school due to her anxiety. Quinn is her service dog, trained to recognize signs of anxiety and gently guide her into a safer place, both emotionally and physically. With Quinn by her side, Vandermeer’s life has begun to resemble that of a normal teenager. “Just having her with me is a huge anxiety relief,” explained the young person. “Another thing that comes with my anxiety is dizzy spells and panic attacks.” These incidents cause Vandermeer’s heart rate to spike, which causes Quinn to take action. “She’ll nudge me, she’ll put her paw on me to sit down,” said Vandermeer. If the situation worsens, Quinn will try to direct Vandermeer into a safer position, like up against a wall. Vandermeer’s family couldn’t be happier about the work the two have done together. Her mother, Brussels Lion Patty Vandermeer, has been thoroughly impressed with the process. “We started this with her doctors, and she’s made amazing progress… her doctors didn’t think she’d get to this point… it’s given her what we take for granted.”
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Quinn is unusual in that she was trained not by a professional service, but by Ella herself, with the help of her family. Now 15 years old, Ella has been working with three-year-old Quinn since she was a seven-week-old puppy. Training a service dog is an enormous amount of work, and, under normal circumstances, is not something an average adult can handle, let alone a 12 year old. But Ella is not an average 12 year old, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was a time of unusual circumstances. And not just any dog can become a service dog, but Quinn is not just any dog. In the early days of the pandemic, Ella worked hard to imprint herself on baby Quinn, ensuring an inseparable bond. When Quinn has her service vest on, she only has eyes for Ella, and anticipates her every need. The two of them do what humans and dogs have always done - they’ve learned what they need most from each other, and, in meeting those needs,
have enriched both of their lives. If you are interested in supporting the Lions Foundation of Canada’s Dog Guide program, you can volunteer or donate online at www.dogguides.com.
A Celebration of Life will be held for
Dan Pears arson at the
Brussels Legion Saturday, April 15th from 1 pm - 4 pm
Time to Celebrate! Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, retirement or some other special event, show them how much you care with an announcement in The Citizen. 2" wide x 3" high
4" wide x 3" high
$30 + tax
$60 + tax
includes colour
includes colour
The Citizen A dog day afternoon Ella Vandermeer and her support dog Quinn are seen above. With Quinn by her side, Vandermeer is better able to manage her anxiety, allowing for more participation in traditional activities associated with being a teenager. (Scott Stephenson photo)
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