Kara Shaw has a new best friend in her adopted Labrador retriever, Kendal.
And it’s obvious the two are inseparable as their friendship grows and Kendal learns how to steer Kara away from obstacles and traffic while the pair takes walks through the community of Fergus.
Kendal is a seeing eye dog adopted by the Shaw family for Kara, who has been blind since birth.
Kendal is a graduate of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility in Oakville, which as the name suggests is funded by Lions Clubs, including the Fergus club.
The clubs operate the program through the generous support of countless individuals, organizations and businesses, such as the Fergus Scotiabank branch.
Kara’s mother, Lynda Shaw, enrolled Kara in the program and she spent four weeks at the Oakville facility training with the dog.
Kendal was then adopted by the Shaw family and the dog has been training with Kara for the past three weeks.
“He’s still a puppy and does things he shouldn’t,” Kara said of her new friend, for whom she is very thankful.
The duo will soon be seen walking in downtown Fergus, an experience that will safely offer Kara more independence.
Fergus Lions member Ben Collings said the club originally did not know Kara had been the recipient of a seeing eye dog because the club’s donations go directly to the foundation’s work – and not a specific person and/or dog.
“We applied for a dog around May,” Lynda said.
A trainer was sent out to the Shaw home to conduct an assessment and by October Kara was training with the dog. As part of the training, Kara has to feed, groom and walk her newfound friend and family member.
“She can go out and should be able to walk around town,” Lynda said.
Collings said it costs about $25,000 to train a dog.
The dogs are trained in different disciplines to assist their new owners with whatever issues they have.
Beside sight training, dogs are trained for people who are hearing impaired, suffer from seizures (which the dogs can detect), have autism or other special needs. The training centre is now training dogs to alert owners who are about to suffer a diabetic seizure due to low blood sugar.
“They can smell it on their breath,” Collings said of the signals dogs pick-up on.
Since 1983, the foundation has trained 1,800 dogs that are provided – at no charge – to people suffering from disabilities.
Kara and her mother said they are urging people not to pet the dog when it is in harness and assisting Kara.
“When he’s off harness or on his leash, you can pet him,” Kara said.
Lynda said the two garner attention when they are out and about.
“In Fergus it’s been amazing,” she said. “People treat them with so much respect.”
Lynda is also hoping the township will consider putting up “audible” crosswalks to alert the visially impaired of when they can safely cross the street.
For now Kara and Kendal will continue their training.
