“Mason never thought he would have a dog of his own, so when he was matched with the cuddly and playful Queenie, he was very excited. We heard about the buddy dog program directly through CNIB when the program first started. CNIB matched Mason with Queenie, a four-year-old golden-retriever. Queenie has helped teach responsibility to Mason and has built up his confidence when navigating outdoors. Mason finds comfort in knowing that both himself and Queenie have obstacles and challenges to face, and that they can learn to navigate them together. They are quite a team. Mason loves to take Queenie to the dog park, cuddle, and read books together. At the dog park, Queenie loves being social and playing with other dogs. Everyone who meets Queenie loves her and says she is a very pretty girl. If we could tell Queenie anything, it would be that she is absolutely perfect.”
- Ashlee and Mike Christiaens, parents to Mason (age 11)
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.