National specialty pet retailer’s support for Dog Guides surpasses $2.3 million
In honour of International Assistance Dog Week (August 1 – 7), today, Pet Valu donated $10,000 to Lions Foundation Canada Dog Guides, bringing Pet Valu’s total support for Dog Guides to more than $2.3 million since 2014.
“Dog Guides provide life changing assistance to their handlers, helping them to confidently and independently navigate their homes and communities,” says Richard Maltsbarger, President and CEO, Pet Valu. “We made today’s donation to recognize these tremendous working dogs and the highly capable instructors, staff and foster families who help prepare them for their important job.”
Pet Valu began supporting Dog Guides in 2014 with the production of an annual “give what you can” calendar, featuring stunning photos of pets across Canada. Each year, upwards of 60,000 photos are submitted from pet parents across Canada and 13 are selected for inclusion in the calendar. All funds raised from the annual calendars are donated to Dog Guides. In 2017 Pet Valu, increased its support, becoming the national sponsor of Dog Guides’ biggest annual fundraising event, The Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides. The Walk which is held in hundreds of communities across Canada and virtually for the past two years, has raised up to $1.3 million annually for Dog Guides. In 2019, Pet Valu once again increased its support for Dog Guides, becoming the official food sponsor of the Puppy Program and dogs in training. Through this food sponsorship, Pet Valu has supplied more than $500,000 worth of its nutritious, proprietary brands Performatrin® and Performatrin Ultra®.
Each Dog Guide costs approximately $35,000 to raise, train and place yet they are provided free of charge to all handlers. Thanks to Pet Valu’s fundraising efforts and donations, which total $2,373,000 to date. Pet Valu has sponsored 149 Dog Guide teams across all programs, including: Canine Vision, Hearing, Autism Assistance, Service, Seizure Response, Diabetic Alert and Facility Support.
“Pet Valu is an invaluable supporter of Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. They are fully committed to our mission to empower Canadians living with disabilities to capably navigate their world with a dog guide at their side at no cost to them. We are extremely grateful for Pet Valu’s ongoing and generous contributions,” says Beverly Crandell, CEO Dog Guides.
About LFC Dog Guides (LFCDG)
LFCDG is the only accredited Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) organization in the world that provides Dog Guides in seven programs. The foundation provides highly trained dogs across Canada and relies on public support to match Dog Guides teams at no cost. Each Dog Guide takes approximately $35,000 to breed, train and place with qualified Canadians with a medical or physical disability. To learn more about Dog Guides, please visit www.dogguides.com
About Pet Valu
Pet Valu is Canada’s leading retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies with over 600 corporate-owned or franchised locations across the country. For more than 40 years, Pet Valu has earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents by offering knowledgeable customer service, a premium product offering and engaging in-store services. Pet Valu’s neighbourhood stores offer more than 7,000 competitively-priced products, including a broad assortment of premium, super premium, holistic and award-winning proprietary brands. To learn more, please visit: www.petvalu.com.