Londesborough Lions Club pledges $15,000 to Dog Guides expansion project
BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN
The Londesborough and District Lions Club, late last month, made one of the bigger donation commitments in the club’s history, pledging $15,000 over the next three years to Dog Guide programs in Ontario.
The project is being undertaken by the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides program and its ambitious future, which includes expansion of the program, more dogs for Canadians who need them and a brand new training facility in Oakville.
Al Leach of the Mount Forest Lions Club visited Londesborough for the club’s regular meeting in late March to speak to the members about the program and officially receive a cheque for $5,000 for the project. Further donations of $5,000 will follow in 2025 and 2026 to fulfill the club’s total pledge of $15,000.
Leach, who, in addition to being an active member of his local Lions Club, serves as a vice-president and director with the Saugeen Valley Children’s Safety Village, said he is passionate about the Dog Guide program, which he said is one of the few entirely Canadian charitable causes. The program is situated in Canada, raising money from Canadians to help Canadians, all within the country’s borders.
The campaign, which is being called “The Difference”, has a goal of $25 million. However, the full cost of the project is about $50 million, but $25 million from the sale of the current Dog Guides building and land will cut that figure in half, leaving $25 million to be raised.
The building will measure 89,000 square feet and will include, according to literature on the program, comfortable and fully-accessible spaces and dedicated training rooms and classrooms. There will be 36 accessible guest bedrooms for people in training with their Dog Guide, a larger and improved kennel and veterinarian space with indoor and outdoor spaces for dogs and more.
According to Kittie McGregor of the Londesborough club, the building will also be constructed in a more appropriate location for the development of guide dogs, allowing for space and sound buffers, instead of the current location, which was formerly a school, so it’s located right within a residential neighbourhood.
The new and expanded program hopes to match 250 Dog Guides with people every year once the expansion is complete, as demand continues to grow. The Lions have matched more than 3,200 Canadians with Dog Guides over the years and the current centre is at capacity in regards to both dogs and people. Furthermore, the centre is not accessible for the very people the program is attempting to serve.
McGregor said the charity is important to the local club not just because it’s connected to the Lions and serves Canada, but locally there have been people who have benefitted from the program. Seeing those results, she said, has motivated members of the club to donate and help make the next phase a reality.
She also noted the broad range of services Dog Guides can provide through the program. There are seven: canine vision, hearing, service, seizure response, diabetic alert, autism assistance and facility support.
She said the club has also been working to make a difference abroad as well, taking part in a program that sends stoves to families in need in Ukraine. The club sent two such stoves to the war-torn country earlier this year.
Londesborough Lions President Don McGregor said he and the next president, Mike Boven, really wanted to highlight the work of the entire club in making this donation, rather than focusing on the president, but Don said he was proud of the club to make such a substantial donation to such a worthy cause.
He also said it was a real honour to have Leach attend the club’s meeting so that members could learn more about the new centre and all it can provide.
For more information on the initiative or to donate, visit the foundation at www.dogguides.com.