While guide dogs assisting people with visual impairment have been around hundreds of y
ears, it’s only been in the past three decades that people with epilepsy have discovered the difference specially trained canines can make in their lives.
Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides has trained more than 70 dogs to assist Canadians living with a seizure disorder. Identified by their jackets, these animals accompany people with severe seizure disorders at home and in public to ensure their safety.
Based in Oakville, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides trains about 10 to 15 seizure response dogs each year.
Seizure response dogs receive extensive training. If a person goes into seizure at home, the dogs are trained to press Lifeline buttons and even speed-dial buttons on cordless and mobile phones to alert emergency response teams of the situation. In public, the dogs will bark to attract attention, should their owner go into seizure.
They are also trained to comfort people who have just had a seizure, snuggling against their owner to ease their anxiety.
Ian Ashworth, director of program development at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, notes that if a person goes into seizure in public, passersby are often frightened and don’t know what to do. Seizure response dogs bridge a communication gap between their owner and the public, Ashworth says.
“If you’ve got a dog there that’s barking for attention and it has a vest on that says ‘Seizure Response Dog,’ then immediately people feel a lot more comfortable approaching the situation and getting involved,” he says.
“The dog barking brings attention and help much, much faster. A lot of clients we have had have said how much the dog has helped them in that regard. Whereas previously they may have been waiting a long time and maybe even injured themselves, now with their dog attention comes a lot faster.”
Seizure response dogs bring other benefits to their owners, such as companionship, Ashworth says.
The process for getting a seizure response dog starts with submitting an application outlining the severity of a person’s seizure condition, an authorized epilepsy diagnosis and references. Once Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs has the application, an in-home assessment with a dog trainer is arranged to determine if the person would benefit from a seizure response dog.
Seizure response dogs are provided for free to those requiring them.
Click here for more information about Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.
Writer: Deron Hamel
If you have feedback on this story, or have a story of your own that you would like to share, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca. You can also leave a comment below.
I would like to say that I am thankful beyond what words can express for my daughter Ashley having her Seizure Response Guide Dog, Flicka. Who is the little one in your picture. Flicka does an amazing job and has built my daughters self confidence and esteem as well. What Lions Foundation Guide Dogs has done for all of us in our family by providing this wonderful service dog to our family has gone above and beyond anything a parent could imagine. We speak often and highly of all service animals and with great honour highly recommend anyone else who suffers severe Epilepsy to definitly consider have a wonderful service animal. She has given us as parents piece of mind as well, knowing that we cant always be there at our children’s side no matter how big or small they are, its always hard to have a child with such an illness but knowing that Flicka is there to alert and get help for Ashley if we arent right there has made a huge impact on all of us in the family.
We as a family are proud and honoured to be one of many clients of the Lions Foundation Guide Dogs. My daughter has been and will always be a huge advocate not only for Epilepsy but also for raising awareness of Service Guide Dogs.
Besides how can one not love such beautiful creatures.
I would like to say that I am thankful beyond what words can express for my daughter Ashley having her Seizure Response Guide Dog, Flicka. Who is the little one in your picture. Flicka does an amazing job and has built my daughters self confidence and esteem as well. What Lions Foundation Guide Dogs has done for all of us in our family by providing this wonderful service dog to our family has gone above and beyond anything a parent could imagine. We speak often and highly of all service animals and with great honour highly recommend anyone else who suffers severe Epilepsy to definitly consider have a wonderful service animal. She has given us as parents piece of mind as well, knowing that we cant always be there at our children’s side no matter how big or small they are, its always hard to have a child with such an illness but knowing that Flicka is there to alert and get help for Ashley if we arent right there has made a huge impact on all of us in the family.
We as a family are proud and honoured to be one of many clients of the Lions Foundation Guide Dogs. My daughter has been and will always be a huge advocate not only for Epilepsy but also for raising awareness of Service Guide Dogs.
Besides how can one not love such beautiful creatures.
I would like to say that I am thankful beyond what words can express for my daughter Ashley having her Seizure Response Guide Dog, Flicka. Who is the little one in your picture. Flicka does an amazing job and has built my daughters self confidence and esteem as well. What Lions Foundation Guide Dogs has done for all of us in our family by providing this wonderful service dog to our family has gone above and beyond anything a parent could imagine. We speak often and highly of all service animals and with great honour highly recommend anyone else who suffers severe Epilepsy to definitly consider have a wonderful service animal. She has given us as parents piece of mind as well, knowing that we cant always be there at our children’s side no matter how big or small they are, its always hard to have a child with such an illness but knowing that Flicka is there to alert and get help for Ashley if we arent right there has made a huge impact on all of us in the family.
We as a family are proud and honoured to be one of many clients of the Lions Foundation Guide Dogs. My daughter has been and will always be a huge advocate not only for Epilepsy but also for raising awareness of Service Guide Dogs.
Besides how can one not love such beautiful creatures.