THUNDER BAY – St. John Ambulance is looking to raise funds for its therapy dog program this season by making its dogs the star of the show.
The SJA’s Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario chapter will sell greeting cards featuring local therapy dogs, with proceeds staying in the community to support the program’s operations in the region.
The initiative sees the trained animals visit hospitals, retirement residences, care facilities, schools, universities, and other institutions to offer companionship and good cheer.
The cards, locally designed, photographed, and printed, will be sold in a five-pack of full colour, 5x7 greeting cards. They’ll feature a range of therapy dogs, from Tibetan Mastiff to a Shih Tzu/Maltese, in local settings like Hillcrest Park.
Packs can be purchased for $10 at the St. John Ambulance offices on Fort William Road.
The project follows a similar calendar fundraiser held last year, which the organization said saw significant success.
While COVID-19 has prevented in-person visits, handlers are reaching out with therapy dogs in other ways during the pandemic.
“Both the clients and the dogs and their handlers are missing the interactions,” the organization explained. “We felt it was important we let the community know the program still exists and we are reaching out in other ways like virtual visits [and] dogs writing letters to school children.”
The funds will support needs like dog training and gear, when the program is allowed to restart.
