VIP Dogs

VIP Dogs are dogs that were not suitable for use in our program. The dog is placed as an unskilled pet in a family where there is a child or adult with a disability as a VIP (Very Important Pet). These dogs do not have any public access or special skills training. They are young adult dogs of known history that we believe will be an asset to someone with a disability looking for the companionship and love a dog can provide. We also understand that while many parents with disabled children would love to have a pet for their child that the time it would take to train and socialize a dog to be safe around their child is often prohibitive.

Our VIP list is not chronological (not first-come, first-served) as we strive to match the personality, breed, etc of the dog to the preferences of the applicants. Therefore, the broader you are in your selections, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to find a dog for you. Because all PADS dogs are released for a reason that makes them unsuitable for training as an assistance dog, we will not consider applications where the "Reasons for Release" section is left blank or the applicant indicates they would prefer a dog without problems.

Requirements:

An adult must be home during the day:
While in puppy-raising a PADS puppy is never left alone for more than 4 hours total in a day, therefore they are unaccustomed to spending long, regular periods of time away from their people. Because they are already making a huge adjustment moving from their puppy-raiser's home to a new home it is not fair to put the additional burden on them of also being alone most of the day. If an adult will not be home during the day we will not consider your application.
VIP Dogs are only placed with individuals with a disability.
Preference is given to children with disabilities, but we also accept applications from adults with disabilities that do not require a service dog, but would like the companionship of a well trained and socialized dog. If you do not have a disability please click on released dogs at left.

In order to assist you in filling out the application, here is some information about the demographic of dogs being released by PADS.

Generally the dogs are over 10 months of age and under 2 years of age.
Breeds:
- Labrador Retrievers ("Labs") currently account for approximately 80% of our dogs in training (predominantly Black or Yellow Labs, with a few Chocolate Labs).
- We have a small number of Golden Retrievers in training (less than 20%).
- Our small breed dogs (potential hearing dogs) tend to vary widely in breed, but include Smooth Fox Terriers, Shetland Sheepdogs ("Shelties") and Schipperkes, as well as various mixed-breed dogs.
The top reasons we release dogs are:
- Suspicion/Fear/Confidence-based behaviours
  The dog is nervous or fearful in public, often the dog will give low barks or back away when confronted with people, objects or environments they are uncertain of. This behaviour often improves after the dog is released as the dog is no longer under the pressure of having to live in human public places (malls, restaurants, etc) that dogs are not hard wired for. Many of these dogs go on to become VIPs, though some will be released to our Release Dog list.
- Hard-to-Handle/Too Much Energy
  The dog is too strong and hard to manage for a physically challenged individual to handle. These dogs often go on to do detection work though some will be released to our Release Dog list.
- Prey Drive
  Likes to chase balls, cats, squirrels, birds, etc. These dogs often go on to do detection work or to our Release Dog list. They are only suitable for a VIP if the disabled child does not want to be involved with walking the dog (as dogs with prey drive have a tendency to chase/lunge without warning)

Dogs may be released for more than one reason, in which case we look for an application where the applicant has indicated they will consider all the problems the dog is being released for. All VIP dogs are spayed or neutered prior to placement & Large breed dogs will generally have had their hips x-rayed at the same time. Dogs are up-to-date on their vaccination and microchipped. For dogs who are registered with the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) registration will be transferred into the name of the adopter.

Please note:

VIP dogs are no longer eligible for access to public places (for instance the mall, restaurants, etc.) Once they are released they are pets only, and the responsibility of the adopter.
It would be unusual for PADS to have a suitable dog for you in less than 6 months, and many applicants have been on the VIP list for a year or longer.

Currently our VIP list is closed, and we are not accepting new applicants.