Christopher Adams applied to become a CNIB Puppy Raiser shortly after the passing of his family dog. The sudden loss made his family appreciate how fragile and precious life can be, and how important it is to be grateful for the presence of loved ones each day. So, the family applied to CNIB Guide Dogs and received Percy, a Labrador-retriever in August 2019.
“I was incredibly excited,” says Christopher when he first met Percy. “He loves attention and affection. The most important characteristic of Percy was his eagerness and joy, and I made sure to always greet him with the same enthusiasm because it really motivated him.”
Percy is a very social, easy going, active and confident dog. He loved being outside at the park or the farm, and especially swimming at the beach with his other siblings – Lulu, Indy and Wallace.
“Puppy raisers and puppy raising supervisors knew Percy as 'Mr. Wiggles'. He truly has an alien tail,” says Christopher. “He often communicates through his tail, as he very rarely barks. Percy’s overall wellbeing is best reflected in his tail.”
When Percy moved onto advanced training, Christopher and the entire family grieved the loss of his presence in their lives as he was truly adored by everyone in the family, neighbourhood, and among friends and colleagues.
“It was very hard to bid farewell to Percy, as he became somewhat of a celebrity in the neighbourhood – but at the same time we were very proud and excited that he was fulfilling his destiny of becoming a guide dog,” says Christopher.
Percy graduated in April 2021 and has been matched with a guide dog handler in British Columbia.
“We have had several wonderful conversations with Percy’s handler and we could not be happier for them,” says Christopher. “We miss him so much and hope to see him again one day.”