"I’m an animal lover, so I was extremely excited to meet Ivan for the first time. Ivan is my first guide dog, and we’ve been matched together since 2020. It felt like I had waited so long to be matched, but he was definitely worth the wait – he’s my perfect match. Ivan’s the most incredible dog I’ve ever met – he’s so sweet, caring and cuddly. He’s also goofy, fearless, and smart – really everything I could have imagined and more. Ivan is very in tune with my emotions and always keeps an eye on me whether he is working or not. One thing that has really stood out to me about having Ivan is the confidence and companionship that he brings to my life. I can walk much faster, knowing that he will stop for curbs or stairs or anything else that could potentially be dangerous. He helps to keep me grounded and calm during everyday activities. Having a guide dog does so much more than simply helping with mobility. He helps me stick to a routine by staying active with me on our daily walks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, things have been really tough. Some days if it weren’t for Ivan, I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. As much as I try, I just can’t put into words how much Ivan has changed my life. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us!
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If I could give one message to Canadians about guide dogs, it would be to please not pet or talk to working guide dogs, or service animals in general. Ivan loves people; when they pay him extra attention, it makes it very difficult for him to do his job. If you see a dog in a place where animals are typically not allowed to be, you should ignore it. That animal has special permission to be there, which means it has a job to do. Distracting the animal could have dire consequences for the handler. I like to tell people to think of it this way: imagine you are at work, doing a very important job that requires a lot of attention, and someone comes up to you and starts talking to you or touching you. That could very well cause you to lose focus and miss something very important. In the case of a guide dog, it could mean they fail to alert their handler to a flight of stairs or an obstacle in their path. As tough as it might be for you to not pet or talk to a working guide dog, it is much worse to accidentally cause someone to get hurt.” – Amanda