The sixth Annual Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides had some new contributors and more dogs on hand on Sunday.
The walk marked the 41st Anniversary of the national event and raised $2,340 which was a slight decrease over 2025. The annual walk raises funds to help Lions Foundation of Canada continue to provide Dog Guides for Canadians with disabilities at no cost to them.
Garry Beaudry who is the local organizer for the Prince Albert Lions Club for the Walk for Dog Guides said that the event was lightly attended with 21 people but any money raised is significant.
“It all is good,” he said. “Every dollar goes to raising and training a dog guide for a Canadian with a disability at no cost to the client, so every dollar is good.”
Beaudry is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. His two-year term expires in October, 2026.
“The Dog Walk is our major fundraiser that we have during the year,” Beaudry said. “We have other telemarketing and things like that, but the walk itself is our major fundraiser. Most people or organizations across Canada try and hold it all on the same day.”
The Foundation has set a goal of $1.6 million for this year and online donations rose to more than $722,485 by Sunday.
The walk started at 15th Avenue and River Street. Participants could go as far as the Elks Club or turn around if they wanted. Participants who went the full distance walked four kilometers before returning for hot dogs.
The local Pet Valu was on hand to support the event with dog treats for the walkers and a draw. Because they are the national sponsor, the event is called the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides in support of the Lions Dog Guides.
“Pet Valu is a great sponsor,” Beaudry said. “They were there to help us out. They gave out gifts to the dog people who had dogs partake in the walk.
“They’ve always been really great in helping out at the walks and they also donate to our training centre on a yearly basis, even away from the walk. They provide food for our
puppies and they I think they’ve even in our new school, they have pledged money for the puppy portion of our school.”
Beaudry loves the work of the Guide Dog program, hence his seat as the chair.
He said providing dog guides to residents in need is very important to Lions Clubs across the province. Dogs can do more than help guide residents with low or no vision. They can also be trained as alert dogs for people prone to seizures.
“It gives the clients independence in their life,” Beaudry explained. “You take somebody that’s hard of hearing or deaf, they get a hearing dog and it can save their life. If a fire alarm goes off, they can’t hear it, the dog lets them know it’s time to get out of here. That down to the simple, the dog hears somebody calling their client’s name and they have the client react to the person that’s calling them.”
He said that the important aspect is the independence.
“People with vision problems, somebody that is prone to seizures, they go out, they can continue on with their life knowing that they’ve got a support with them all the time that will help them if they do get into a bad spot.”
Beaudry explained it costs $35,000 to raise, train and match a dog to the clients. They solely operate on donations from the public, Lions Clubs and corporate.
They are currently in the process of constructing a new 82,000 square foot state of the art training centre in Oakville.
“Right now, unfortunately, we’re paused,” he said. “We just paused—a bit of a cash flow problem. Hopefully in the very near future, we’ll get back to construction and going on. We’re 58 per cent complete.”
Beaudry said tariffs and other events in the world created some issues.
“It definitely drove the pricing up a bit on some of our stuff,” Beaudry said.
Beaudry said the event couldn’t have been a success without the sponsors. Because of the local business donations there was no cost to the Lions Club.
Beaudry hopes more people and businesses are out next year to support the Walk for Dog Guides.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
