“It’s so cool to have my very own Buddy Dog! Indy has been a very amazing dog. When we went to our cottage in the summer, he went on the stand-up paddle board, pedal boat, and the motorboat. Whenever someone went in the lake, he would try to swim towards them and then swim back. It was almost like he was playing fetch! It’s so fun having Indy. I love walking him to school when he’s wearing his Buddy Dog vest. He’s so good at walking beside me. It’s so fun to see how happy he gets when he sees me come back from school too! I am so happy that Indy has come into my life. Now, I always have someone to play with. Thank you so much for Indy!” – Keaton, age 10.
A buddy dog is partnered with a child/youth between the ages of 7 and 16 who is living with sight loss. Whether it’s feeding, grooming or walking this well-trained family pet, this will give the child an opportunity to care for a dog, and make it easier to transition into a guide dog partnership in some cases. If you think your child could benefit from being partnered with a CNIB Buddy Dog, please contact Miriam Mas, Program Lead, Buddy Dogs & Ambassador Dogs.