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A Decade of Dedication in the Okanagan

A Decade of Dedication in the Okanagan

Monday, March 23, 2026 | Okanagan, Our Stories, Volunteer Stories

This March, we’re celebrating 10 years of PADS in the Okanagan – from a simple idea with a lot of heart to a thriving community!

PADS Volunteer Information Sessions

PADS Volunteer Information Sessions

Monday, September 29, 2025 | News, Volunteer Stories

Join us for a PADS Volunteer Information Session, and learn how you can make an impact by volunteering with PADS.

Calgary Volunteer of the Year Award – 2020

Monday, June 7, 2021 | Volunteer Stories

Our Calgary Volunteer of the Year for 2020 is Lauren Hamilton! Click the post to read more.

Okanagan Volunteer of the Year Award – 2020

Monday, June 7, 2021 | Volunteer Stories

Our Okanagan Volunteer of the Year for 2020 is Paul Lindquist! Click the post to read more.

West Coast Volunteer of the Year Award – 2020

Monday, June 7, 2021 | Volunteer Stories

Our West Coast Volunteer of the Year for 2020 is Michelle Vally! Click the post to read more.

Calgary Volunteer of the Year Award – 2019

Sunday, June 7, 2020 | Volunteer Stories

Our Calgary Volunteer of the Year for 2019 is Melanie Hayden! Click the post to read more.

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ABOUT PADS

PADS dogs are raised and trained on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Ktunaxa ɁamakɁis (Ktunaxa), Ĩyãħé Nakón mąkóce (Stoney), Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), Tsuut’ina & Michif Piyii (Métis) Nations, and the Syilx Okanagan People.

We acknowledge the importance of these lands and their history. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and responsibility in improving relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their cultures.

We breed, raise and train fully certified assistance dogs. Our service (mobility & PTSD) and hearing dogs provide life-changing independence to those with disabilities. Our accredited facility dogs work with professionals, such as teachers, RCMP officers and psychologists to help support healthy communities.

PADS is a fully accredited member of Assistance Dogs International.

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We raise, train, and place life-changing assistance dogs 🐶
Brinks is filling some big paw prints as he steps Brinks is filling some big paw prints as he steps up as a successor dog for his new partner, Ryan 🐾 Already, mobility service dog Brinks has given Ryan a renewed sense of safety and independence. He picks up hard-to-reach items and brings Ryan his phone when needed. He provides companionship and security. And, he continues to learn new skills to help his new partner. “He is a special dog!” says Ryan. Read more about Team Brinks’s story through the link in our bio 🔗 #ServiceDog #DogsWithJobs [A portrait photo of PADS Brinks, a yellow Lab with soulful eyes.]
PADS dogs love field trips! Last week, some of our PADS dogs love field trips! Last week, some of our dogs in the West Coast Advanced Training cohort took a trip to visit our friends at the @vancouverpd Mounted Unit. This was a great (and very cute) opportunity for both horses and dogs to get to know each other. It's important for service dogs in training to be exposed to a wide range of environments and experiences so that they are well equipped for whatever lifestyle their future client leads! These dogs can tick hanging out around horses off of their list 🐴🐶 #ServiceDogs [Photo one shows three yellow Labs wearing raincoats and yellow PADS vests sitting in front of a chestnut RCMP horse. Photo 2 shows a yellow Lab sitting in front of a bay RCMP horse and its handler.]
The handsome and charming PADS Kashtin is off a ne The handsome and charming PADS Kashtin is off a new adventure with our friends at @ofpcanada! Earlier this month, Kashtin traded in his yellow PADS vest for the island life as he met his future partner on Vancouver Island. He joins PADS alumni Groot, Russell II, Bee, and Ole at OFP, a program where clients are supported to train their own service dogs. We're so excited for Kashtin, and we can't wait to see the lives he changes on his journey 💛 #ServiceDogs #VancouverIsland [Kashtin, a young yellow Lab, sits outside on a dock. His name is written in white text on a blue background in the bottom left of the image.]
🐶 Pupdate: Meet Sesame! Sweet Sesame is one of ou 🐶 Pupdate: Meet Sesame! Sweet Sesame is one of our dogs in assistance dog training. This goofy guy is an eager student, busy learning all the skills he'll need as a service dog. He's gentle despite his size and has proven himself a perfect mentor for his mini-me housemate, PADS Bowie. Sesame is steadily gaining confidence and, if you meet him, he'd love to show off the new skills he's learning in canine college! Sesame is waiting for a sponsor to help further his training. Could it be you? Head to the link in our bio to learn more🔗 #PADSDogs #AssistanceDogs [Ten photos of PADS Sesame, a yellow Lab with expressive eyebrows. Photos 3, 6, and 10 show Sesame with PADS Bowie, a young yellow Lab.]
Thank you for helping us reach our holiday fundrai Thank you for helping us reach our holiday fundraising goal! We're immensely grateful to share that our 2025 holiday fundraising campaign featuring Team Tahsis raised over $120,000. These funds go directly towards raising, training, and placing life-changing assistance dogs, like Tahsis. "How incredibly fortunate I am to have such a phenomenal team of individuals, devoting their time, energy, and hearts into supporting those of us with a difference of abilities," says Sarah-Kate, one half of Team Tahsis, of the incredible generosity of the PADS community. Thank you to everyone who made a donation or helped to spread the word. Thank you to the John Hardy Mitchell Family Foundation for providing the generous $20,000 matching funds, allowing gifts to go further. And thank you to Sarah-Kate and Tahsis, for allowing us to share their story and inspiring donors to make a life-changing gift 🐶💙 #HearingDog #ServiceDogs [Photo one shows Team Tahsis at a pumpkin patch, sitting together and smiling at the camera. Image two shows Team Tahsis atop a mountain. Photo three shows PADS Tahsis leaning into Sarah-Kate's child as he is being pet.]
Introducing our VIP Class of 2025!   Our Very Impo Introducing our VIP Class of 2025!   Our Very Important Pet (VIP) program places dogs who are better suited for the pet life with families of a child or adult with a disability.   Last year, we placed 15 incredible dogs with equally incredible families. They’ve each been sharing their magic as sweet, smart, loving pets.   One family summed it up best: “To say that Encore has changed our family for the better is an understatement. He is the family member we did not know we were missing and the best friend we didn’t know we needed.”   Read all about how life-changing these placements have been through the link in our bio 🔗 #PADSVIPs  [Fifteen photos, each of a Labrador retriever, with their name written in white text on a blue background in the bottom lefthand corner.]
Everyone say hello to Pixel, the latest piece of t Everyone say hello to Pixel, the latest piece of the PADS picture 🖼️ PADS Pixel II comes to us from @bcandalbertaguidedogs as part of the ADI International Breeding Cooperative. He's being raised in the Lower Mainland. We can't wait to see where his puppy-raising journey takes him! A big thank you to our friends at @creativepixelmedia for supporting this little guy and for picking his pixel-perfect name 💛 #PADSPuppies [PADS Pixel II, a young black Lab wearing a yellow PADS vest, sits in a grassy area and looks calmly at the camera. His name is written in white text on a blue background at the bottom of the image.]
Team Triton are shining after being matched togeth Team Triton are shining after being matched together last year ✨ PADS Triton bounded into Daniel's life, bringing with him his goofy personality and life-changing skills. "I had no idea, at the time, how truly profound the positive impact would be on my life," Daniel reflects. Triton was trained to assist with everyday tasks, from opening doors and retrieving items to helping put on and take off shoes. But Triton's tasks are just part of what makes this dog so amazing. Triton's playful personality reminds Daniel to begin each day with play and gratitude. "He brings me so much joy," they say. Read the whole story, in Daniel's own words, through the link in our bio 🔗 #AssistanceDog #ServiceDog [Daniel, a person wearing an orange shirt and a ribbon skirt, sit in a wheelchair. Beside them lays their service dog, PADS Triton, a yellow Lab in a blue PADS vest. Both look happily up at the camera.]
One-derful news! PADS Ivy has welcomed her first p One-derful news! PADS Ivy has welcomed her first pup 🐶 We're pleased to introduce PADS Una, Ivy and @guidedogsofamerica Ranier's beautiful singleton pup. A big thank you to breeder-caretakers Ronald and Anne for your care of this new family 💛 #PADSPuppies [Image 1 shows PADS Ivy II, a black Lab, lying on a soft bed with her newborn black Lab puppy, PADS Una. Image 2 shows a close up of Una, with her name written in white text on a blue background.]
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