Career Change Application

Career Change dogs are those which have been released from our programs due to temperament and/or health reasons. They may or may not have received some formal Dog Guide training. This is strictly dependent on what stage they were at when they were released. All have been raised in volunteer foster homes where they have been socialized and house trained. Further obedience training is strongly recommended once placed in a new home.

We occasionally have older dogs, retiring from working life, that are returned for adoption, although commonly they are adopted by their handler or immediate family members. Our adoption contract states that Career Change dogs cannot be used as a working service dog with public access, although many of our dogs enjoy life as therapy dogs (visiting various places for the public to pet/interact with them through agencies such as St John’s Ambulance).

All dogs are spayed or neutered, vaccinations are updated, and you are provided their veterinary history from Dog Guides care. Once you are matched with a dog, there is a two-week trial period to ensure that the dog is a suitable fit with your family. During that trial period if for any reason you decide the dog is not a good fit for your home, the dog must be brought back to Dog Guides. A fee is charged for all dogs based on age, level of training and reason for release. Fees range from $1,000-$1,500, although fees for dogs with medical issues or retiring dogs are assessed case by case. This fee helps cover the many costs associated with the care, veterinary expenses and training of Dog Guides and helps us to continue our efforts to provide Dog Guides at no cost to people with disabilities. If you wish to be on our waiting list for a Career Change dog, please complete the attached application form. If you are inquiring about a specific dog, please state the dog’s name on the next page in the appropriate field. The waiting period varies depending on the number of dogs we are seeking homes for, suitability of dogs to applicants, and requested traits in a dog. Your application will be kept on file for one year. If you have not been contacted within that time and wish to extend the application further please contact us. Please be sure to update your application with us if your situation changes or you wish to be taken off the waiting list.

Thank you for your inquiry into our Career Change Program.

Sincerely,
Career Change Program Coordinator
152 Wilson Street
Oakville, ON L6K 0G6
(905) 842-2891 (800) 768-3030 Fax: (905) 842-3373
careerchange@dogguides.com