Last year, YVR sponsored a litter of puppies, Amelia, Orville and Wilbur, that are being raised and trained to be an assistance dog for someone with a physical disability or who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Today, YVR celebrated Amelia, Orville and Wilbur’s first birthday! Alongside some of Amelia, Orville and Wilbur’s other four-legged friends, YVR feted their progress and achievements so far on the path to becoming assistance dogs. During their first year of training, the puppies were busy and working hard on the following:
- Becoming socialized to a wide variety of environments including grocery stores, movie theatres, airports, transit, etc.
- Learning basic obedience (sit, down, stand, loose leash walking, etc) as well as durations, so learning to hold those cues for longer and longer periods of time.
- Putting their head through their vest and stand quietly while it’s buckled up.
- Learning that their name means “make and hold eye contact” and that “here” means run back to your person as quick as you can!
They have learned so much in such a short time and we are proud of their hard work!
YVR invests over $1 million dollars each year with local charities and organizations as part of our Community Investment program. Under our accessibility pillar, YVR is committed to inclusivity and accessibility. We support programs and organizations that focus on advancements in inclusivity, universal access and access to opportunity. YVR is proud to support Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) and the work that they do. For more information on PADS, head to their website.