FREE ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS WHO NEED HELP LOOKING AFTER THEIR DOG
Dedicated to helping older adults and their dogs remain a family, volunteers with ElderDog Canada, a national non-profit organization with a chapter in Nanaimo, provide assistance with:
- Dog walking
- Transportation to vet appointments & groomers
- Picking up dog food
- Minor grooming and hygiene
- Temporary care during hospitalization/rehoming
JUST CONTACT: 1-855-336-4226 & visit www.elderdog.ca
Who Are We?
ElderDog Canada is a national, community-based non-profit organization whose goal is to assist older adults (55+) in the care of their canine companions. It provides screened volunteers who help seniors with daily activities, such as dog walking, transportation to veterinarian clinics and pet food delivery and, in the unfortunate event that a dog requires either temporary fostering or permanent rehoming, ElderDog is also there to assist.
ElderDog Canada has branches (called “Pawds”) in eight provinces and within BC, in Vancouver, Thompson Okanagan, Sunshine Coast, Victoria, Cowichan & Nanaimo. The Nanaimo Pawd was formed in the spring of 2020 and this is our Newsletter.
Follow us on Facebook and share with your friends at: https://www.facebook.com/ElderDog-Canada-Nanaimo-Pawd-102346281512987
Rehoming:
Farley has been our latest project and, thanks to our Rehoming Coordinator, Debbie Kandert, he has found a special spot with a wonderful young couple in Vancouver! They will ensure he has lots of hikes, attention and cuddles.
We also provided a 24 hour fostering for a woman who had to be hospitalized overnight, which enabled her to focus on her health and not be distracted with worry about her furry family member.
Dog Walking:
We currently have 28 volunteers walking eight dogs in the community, including two dogs in Parksville, and word is spreading about our services. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers! These dogs are in good health and thriving due to the presence of walkers in their lives which provides much needed exercise, stimulation and socialization.
We also held a Christmas Draw for ElderDog fanny packs stuffed with dog items, and the winners are now able to sport their ElderDog gear on walks. We hope to have more draws in future!
We are also very excited to announce that we reached out to Comox Valley News to do any article about our Pawd in hopes of garnering interest in the Comox Valley to form their own Pawd. The response to the article was tremendous and they are in the process of forming their own ElderDog group, so that seniors in our upper Island community will be well-served.
Current Opportunities:
We have some great opportunities for volunteers to assist in the work we do. Without your help, this organization would not exist and we would not be able to maintain the loving, family bond between seniors and their canine companions. Even if you only have an hour or two a week to spare, there is a place for you on our team!
Treasurer:
We really need a treasurer to join our Executive. We are not talking about a lot of work here – our funds are limited due in part to Covid inhibiting our ability to hold fundraisers. However, we still need to produce a monthly report regarding the status of our bank account. So please, if you have a little bit of time and bookkeeping knowledge, we need your help!
Help Debbie with Rehoming:
Debbie Kandert is our Rehoming Coordinator and could really use some assistance. She is responsible for:
- Finding foster homes
- Finding forever homes for dogs placed for adoption
- Liaising with veterinarians in the event that a foster or adoptable dog requires care
- Communicating as required with head office and Rehoming Coordinators in other Pawds.
Kimberly Mann used to assist Debbie but is now focusing on maintaining our social media presence. Here is what she has to say about her experience with rehoming/fostering:
“The fun starts when we have a dog up for adoption. We contact the other ElderDog Pawds but, if a suitable candidate is not identified, then we post on Facebook. We start receiving lots of emails inquiring about the dog so there’s a lot of communication going on. Once a person commits and submits a formal application form, it must be assessed. We then contact our top contenders to set up an ‘in-home visit.” The job is both rewarding and frustrating. We do not always have the cooperation of the person giving up their dog; and sometimes what seemed like the perfect home falls through. But the hard work does pay off, and knowing that your efforts allowed a dog to find the perfect forever home is a feeling that truly warms the heart.”
A somewhat similar process is involved with fostering a dog in terms of reviewing applications of potential foster homes and doing in home visits.
We are looking to form a team of volunteers who can assist with some of these tasks. You don’t have to be involved in the whole process. If you can help go through a few applications, or contact a few prospective adoptees or be a second pair of eyes and ears at an in home visit, we would love to have you join our team. We will ensure you have all the necessary training and you won’t ever be alone!
Help with Fundraising:
Up for a challenge? We’re also looking for a few volunteers to brainstorm ways to raise funds in these COVID times when face to face contact is very restricted. Participate in the creation and organization of fun and creative ways to get the word out that we exist, we’re doing great things and we deserve the financial support of our community. With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to launch a campaign/event!
Welcoming New Volunteers:
We are getting new volunteers every week who need to be brought up to speed on what our organization does, how they might best fit in and what they need to do to help out. We have material which we can provide to them but it always helps to have someone reach out personally to answer questions and help guide them. So if you would like to be part of our Welcoming Team, please let us know!
We’re in the Movies!!!
ElderDog has partnered with filmmaker, Dwight Storring, for the YouTube premiere of Dog’s Best Friend on January 31st at 1:00 pm. This 50 minute video illuminates the role of dogs in people’s lives across the life span and is a fundraiser for ElderDog. Check out https://youtu.be/Rw0R-FsWADU for a countdown to the launch and https://youtu.be/rl8d959TtcM for a short trailer for the film.
Education Workshops:
ElderDog is hosting four education workshops, the first of which is on January 23 at 11 am on Dog Care Support: Building Positive Relationships. The zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84415210223?pwd=cTIxTG5uU0xWSjNTZXVJMHZ5ZUN5QT09
Your Executive:
Linda Willis, Nanaimo Pawd Leader, elderdognanaimoldr@gmail.com 250-729-2795
Veronica Jensen, Volunteer Coordinator,elderdognanaimovol@gmail.com 250-616-4256
Debbie Kandert, Rehoming Coordinator, elderdognanaimorhc@gmail.com 250-760-0647
Jillian Egglestone, In-Home Support Coordinator, elderdognanaimorhc@gmail.com 250-802-8897
Kim Mann, Social Media Coordinator, elderdognanaimorhc@gmail.com 250-816-0773
Sharon Speevak, Communications Coordinator, elderdognanaimocore@gmail.com 250-585-8626
www.elderdog.ca