‘Help build superhero dogs’: Volunteer puppy raisers, sitters needed

Are you a dog lover with a little bit of free time coming up?

Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) is looking for a couple dozen volunteer puppy raisers and puppy sitters for several litters of puppies.

Meredith Areskoug is with PADS, she says many of their long-time volunteers are finally off on vacation following the pandemic and they need help raising the pups.

“So we haven’t really had need for sitters that much during the pandemic, because nobody was going anywhere. So at this point, now that people are wanting to go on vacation, they’re wanting to have puppy sitters to look after the PADS puppies while they go away,” she explains.

“So what we’re looking for are some individuals that love dogs and love learning about how to train dogs and things like that can take a dog into their home maybe 10 to 12 days a month and allow our dedicated group of puppy raiser volunteers to get the breaks they need that they haven’t really had during these past couple of years.”

PADS is looking for a total of 20 new volunteer Puppy-Raisers, and at least 15 new Puppy-Sitters.

(Courtesy PADS)

Once volunteers are trained up, Areskoug says folks can “take the plunge in the next couple of weeks to bring one of these beautiful little babies into their home and help build superhero dogs.”

And then take the plunge in the next couple of weeks to bring one of these beautiful little babies into their home and help build superhero dogs.

PADS breeds, raises and trains certified training dogs for those people with physical disabilities.

These dogs are also used by teachers, RCMP and psychologists to help provide emotional support for those in need.