Special Dogs Visit St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market with National Service Dogs

National Service Dogs Take Field Trip to St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market

Some very special dogs had a day out on Thursday as they took a field trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. These pups, all from National Service Dogs, were accompanied by their volunteers as part of their training.

Rochelle Barber, National Service Dogs’ director of operations, explained the importance of exposing the dogs to a busy and exciting environment like the market. “This is a very busy, very exciting environment. Lots of smells, and people, and things to notice and so we have staff and volunteers here, training and working with our dogs as we walk through the St. Jacobs Market,” she said.

Many of the dogs on the trip are in the advanced training program and are just days away from meeting the clients they’ll be working with. National Service Dogs trains their dogs to work with children with autism, veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder, and in various other programs.

Barber emphasized the impact that these service dogs have on their clients, describing it as “magic.” She highlighted the hard work that goes into training these dogs but noted that the impact is astounding and amazing.

Only service dogs are allowed at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, as per public health regulations. Owners are reminded to keep all other pets at home when visiting the market.

In addition to their field trip, National Service Dogs is also looking for more volunteers to fill a variety of roles, including puppy raisers. Volunteers would be responsible for welcoming a dog into their home, raising it, and training it to help others in the future.

“We love raisers, we love volunteers – they are the most wonderful people in the whole wide world,” Barber expressed. “If you want to join the raiser community or the volunteer community with NSD, please connect with us. We would love to have you.”

For more information on how to volunteer with National Service Dogs, visit their website at nsd.on.ca.