Viv Chan’s Post

🐾 Celebrating International Assistance Dog Week: Heroes on Paws 🐾 This first week of August, we honor and celebrate the incredible contributions of assistance dogs in the lives of people with disabilities. At KnoWEwell, we recognize these skilled canines as more than just pets; they are vital companions who provide independence, security, and unconditional love. 🌟 Ways to Celebrate International Assistance Dog Week: Learn about different types of assistance dogs: Guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs each have specific skills that support their human partners in unique ways. Share stories of assistance dogs and their handlers to raise awareness and appreciation. Support organizations that train and provide assistance dogs. These groups do incredible work and often rely on donations and volunteers. Advocate for the rights of individuals with assistance dogs to ensure they have access to public spaces and are not discriminated against. Thank an assistance dog handler you know for their courage and discuss how their dog has impacted their life. Assistance dogs do more than help with physical tasks—they also bring joy and enhanced well-being to their handlers. Let’s spread the word and show our support for these extraordinary animals and their handlers. #InternationalAssistanceDogWeek #ServiceDogs #UnconditionalSupport #KnoWEwell

🐕🦺 Today, we celebrate Assistance Dog Day. All our service dog family will no doubt agree with our Canny Collar brand ambassador, Chuck Manning, who says that Delta, his own assistance dog, is his lifeline. The bond between an assistance dog and their handler is profound and unique. These dogs are not just helpers; they are loyal companions who offer emotional support and unconditional love. The trust and connection forged between them are based on mutual dependence and respect, which enhances the handler's quality of life significantly. 🐾We have some practical tips to support assistance dogs and their handlers🐾 ✅Respect: Always respect the handler and their dog by not distracting or petting the dog without permission. Remember, these dogs are working and need to focus on their tasks. ✅Educate: Spread awareness about the importance of assistance dogs and the roles they play in enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. ✅Support Organisations: Donate to or volunteer with organisations that train and provide assistance dogs. Your support can help more individuals gain access to these life-changing animals. On this Assistance Dog Day, let's celebrate and honour these incredible dogs and the profound impact they have on their handlers' lives. Their dedication, loyalty, and hard work make the world a better place for many, reminding us of the powerful bond between humans and dogs. #cannycompany #assistancedogday #guidedogs #servicedogs

It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it 🤍 Being a dog rescue does not mean cuddling cute puppies all day (although there are times for that)! There’s a lot that goes into saving lives behind the scene that often take months-a year of planning to save each life. Our team is human and we will never get used to seeing dogs go through tough times. Ongoing support from you all truly makes all the difference in the world for dogs, and for us. Help dog rescues whenever you can. There is something everyone can do! How you can help: -Set up a monthly donation (link in bio) -Donate kibble. This is a never ending need! (Amazon wishlist in bio) -Foster! We need at least 20 short term and long term fosters currently to help current dogs and local surrenders who need help (apply on our site) -Volunteer your time (we always need drivers, supply hubs, administrators, and photographers) -Share our content! Getting the word out about dogs in need of fosters and adopters does work! #dogrescue #torontodogs #redemptionpaws #adoptme #fosterme #adoptdontshop

#VolunteersWeek Today we want to put the spotlight on two very important volunteer roles - a human and dog combo! 🙍♀️🐶 Many of our dogs, especially the ex racing greyhounds, may have never have experienced other breeds of dogs before. It's important that we understand how they react to them, and the only way we can do this is by carefully introducing them to other breeds...and we are a little short of terriers in our kennels! 😁 Small dogs are particularly relevant, as they may be mistaken for a hare that has been chased around a track, but it is important to understand how our hounds cope with other breeds too. This allows us to assess whether they could be homed with a non-sighthound, or even how they might react to one when out on a walk. Therefore we rely on some wonderful human volunteers bringing their doggy volunteers to work our experienced kennel team, enabling us to test our hounds compatibility with other breeds of dog. Not only do we assess our hounds initial reaction to seeing another dog, the doggy volunteer works with the dog in question on an ongoing basis to help them understand that all not dogs have long pointy noses, and long legs! You will see the results of this testing on the their profiles. In fact, we recently put out a request for volunteer help in this regard, and we were overwhelmed with the response. Here is new recruit Bryn and his amazing mum (who was a little camera shy!), with homeless hound Charlie. Charlie hasn't come straight from the track, and with the amazing work Bryn has done, Charlie has been assessed as no longer needing a muzzle in his company. These volunteers really are invaluable to the rehabilitation and subsequent rehoming of dogs in our care and we can't thank them enough. 🙏

🐶 Celebrating Assistance Dog Day - Honoring Our Four-Legged Heroes ➤ Today, we celebrate Assistance Dog Day, recognizing the incredible dogs that provide invaluable support and companionship to individuals with disabilities. ➤ These remarkable animals are essential partners who enhance their handlers' quality of life every day. ➤ Why do Assistance Dogs Matter? → Independence and Mobility - Assist with daily tasks like + opening doors, + retrieving items, and + providing balance support. → Emotional Support - + Offer security, + reduce feelings of isolation and + improving mental health and well-being. → Building Connections - + Act as social bridges, + helping handlers engage with their communities. ➤ Types of Assistance Dogs 🐶 Guide Dogs 🐶 Hearing Dogs 🐶 Mobility Assistance Dogs 🐶 Medical Alert Dogs 🐶 Psychiatric Service Dogs ➤ How to Support and Celebrate → Raise Awareness - Share stories and information about assistance dogs on social media. → Support Training Programs - Donate to organizations that train assistance dogs. → Volunteer - Get involved with local assistance dog organizations by volunteering your time or resources. ➤ Assistance dogs transform lives with their dedication and service. ➤ On this Assistance Dog Day, let’s acknowledge their contributions and support the programs that make these partnerships possible. ➤ Do you have a pet at home? → If yes, Let us know which pet and its name. → If not, do you wish or plan to have one soon? ➤ Let us know in the comment box. Follow Rajakumar JS if you'd like to see my content every day. #AssistanceDogDay #ServiceDogs #SupportAnimals #MentalHealth

The first day I volunteered at my local animal shelter, I didn't enjoy it. I happened to arrive at a busy time, there was no one to show me around, and if you've ever heard the sound of 80+ dogs barking, you'll know it can feel intense! I went to help. I wanted to be useful, but as I stood there with people and dogs milling around me, I didn't know how. A more confident person might have grabbed a lead and got stuck in. I'm quite shy in new situations, so I went and hid in the cat house. Much more civilised 😂 Luckily, a lovely and experienced volunteer found me and asked if I wanted a tour. He introduced me to every dog, told me about the rules and routines, and went on my first walk with me. After that, all was well (I now go 4-5 times a week to help out and walk dogs like the gorgeous Glenda pictured above). The shelter is a tiny, under-resourced charity, they need volunteers to function. It's completely understandable that they don't have time for a formal induction. But... how how could they make sure everyone who walks through the gate with the intention to help feels able to? That's something I'm helping them with at the moment: - what to expect when you arrive - setting up a buddy system with a more experienced volunteer - having rules and routines clearly displayed - adding a few words under each animals' name to describe them Volunteers Week is coming up (3-9 June), and if you're planning to recruit new volunteers, you might want to think about how you'll set expectations and welcome people before you design your advert. So, here's a link (in comments) to a useful Better Story blog about just that👇 #Volunteering #VolunteersWeek #CharityComms #AnimalLovers [Image description: Glenda the dog. A medium sized, black, brown and white ex-hunting dog stands happily in long grass looking at the camera. Backdrop of mountains and blue sky.] 

for all our dog lovers out there, Do not feed stray dogs anywhere you feel like. Yes, you heard us right. While it's absolutely great to be feeding them, there are specific guidelines you should be following when you do so. Here are some quick ones, you can keep in mind : • feed strays at designated areas • don't feed dogs in among the crowd or in a group of children around. • don't feed all the dogs at the same place. • don't force a pup to eat. feed them as much as they wish. • be kinder at all times. Make sure you take these necessary precautions and you're all set to go. Check the comments to find a full article on the "not to-do's" and follow PRAVI for more such posts! #pravi #volunteering #dogs #socialwork #community

Not too long ago, I started volunteering at a Portuguese dog shelter. The place does amazing work to help rescue dogs stay healthy and social before they can find a home. I go there on the weekends to walk a few dogs and socialise with them. I give them a few hours of my day. With the help of me and the other volunteers, all 80 dogs get walked on the weekend, even twice if enough people show up. However, they only get walked on the weekends and on Wednesdays because those are the days they can get enough volunteers to come in. It breaks my heart that the dogs can’t get a proper walk every day. It also pains me to know that some of them will spend the rest of their lives at the shelter. And when I start to think about how many dog shelters there are in the world and how unnecessary it is that people buy dogs from breeders when there are so many rescue dogs looking for a home, frustration and hopelessness take over me. My little effort of dog walking on the weekends seems too small, too insignificant in the big picture. This is where I need to stop and narrow my gaze. I need to bring myself back into the present moment and the world I can see and feel around me. I need to shift my focus to the actions I can take. It’s in this present moment where my hope resides. It’s in this present moment where I need to stay to be connected to that hope. Worldly thinking is not helpful, it’s counterproductive. My actions alone won’t change the bigger picture but my actions combined with the actions of others, who also keep themselves motivated by the present moment, can result in something impactful. I firmly believe that problems caused by human action can also be cured by human action. And problems caused by masses of people will also need masses of people to solve them. I can’t do it all on my own. But I can be one of those people. Staying present is key. Staying focused on the real world around us instead of the news and the internet is key. Hope is a mindful practice. #highonhope #hope #hopeful #mindfulness #presence #agency

Do you have an hour to spare a week? Could you help to give back to the community by volunteering your time and skills with the Cayman Islands Humane Society? We are in desperate need of volunteers at the moment, with 156 animals in the shelter today! Volunteering roles range from cuddling our cats, creating social media posts, walking dogs, and helping to coordinate events - there's something for everyone and we guarantee you will find it really rewarding and meet like-minded people. Here are just some of the ways you can get involved: ❤ Shelter Cat Whisperers - we are seeking cat lovers to spend quality time in our cat room, socialising our cats and helping to gather valuable information and photos to increase their chances of finding a forever home. Time commitment: 30 mins + per week ❤ Dog Walkers - we rely on volunteers to give our dogs a much needed break from the shelter. Dogs can be walked from the shelter to the nearby fenced park, or taken out to the beach or anywhere else for a longer walk! Time commitment: 30 mins + per week ❤ Volunteer Coordinators - if you are looking to use your leadership skills, we need help coordinating events and volunteer programmes to support our ongoing fundraising and public awareness initiatives. Time commitment: 1 hour per week ❤ Social Media Content Creators - we want to launch on TikTok and need someone social media savvy to show us how it's done and help us to expand our reach! Time commitment: TBC! ❤ Beach Training Drivers & Volunteers - our weekly beach training provides essential enrichment and training for our shelter and foster dogs, but we rely on volunteers to help transport the dogs. Time commitment: Sundays between 9.30-11.30am (flexible and doesn't require a weekly commitment) ❤ Flight Escorts - please keep an eye on our Facebook page for upcoming routes/animals which require a flight escort to help them get to their forever home. We arrange and pay for everything, you just need to get on the place! Time commitment: just enough time to sign some paperwork and pose for a photo! For more information, please contact volunteer@caymanhumane.org

Is Doberman Pinscher suitable for family raising? How about raising Doberman Pinscher at home?