Mike Edgar
Mike Edgar is the recipient of the Calgary RegionΒ VerneΒ TrevoyΒ Award for 2020.Β Mike is a βPADS Promoter Extraordinaireβ – always ready to talk about PADS with the people he meets, drive sponsors to the website, and bring in new volunteers to raise or sit dogs. He is an avid and skillful photographer and hasΒ submitted many photos to our communicationsΒ departmentΒ for promotional materials.
He and his family have raised eight dogs for PADS, plus were Advanced Sitters for Fossey, and continue to be active supporters in the puppy raising program. Often, his daughter Samantha will raise a puppy till adolescence then pass it along to Mike, and take on a new puppy, so it really has been a family affair! When PADS Tully was selected for the Breeding Program, they stepped up to volunteer as Breeder-Caretakers for her, and their first challenge was to send her away to Florida to be bred at Southeastern Guide Dogs,Β where she also whelpedΒ her firstΒ litter! She came home four months later with three of her pups, one of whom was PADS Delray. Mike and his family eventually adopted Tully, and she still help with the puppies-in-training.
As an example of the way Mike is always thinking about ways to promote PADS, a few years ago he wondered if a fellow worker in sales might be interested in applying for a Service Dog, so he made sure that she became well acquainted with the puppies he was bringing to work, then suggested this idea to her. His co-worker did indeed apply and was recently matched with her PADS dog; they will be one of our Graduating Teams this year!Β Mike is a valuable member of our Calgary Region Team, and weΒ couldnβtΒ imagine PADS without him.Β