Pet Valu Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Dog Guides’ Fundraising Walk
Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides to be held on May 25 in 200 communities across Canada
MARKHAM, Ontario, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 25th, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (“Dog Guides”) will host its annual national fundraising walk, the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides (the “Walk”), marking the Walk’s 40th anniversary since inception in 1985. As national sponsor since 2017, Pet Valu is proud to once again join Dog Guides in hosting this event in 200 communities across Canada. This year’s Walk aims to raise $1.6 million so that life changing dog guides can continue to be provided to Canadians with physical and medical disabilities at no cost.
Reflecting on the remarkable growth and contributions of this event, CEO of Dog Guides, Bev Crandall, said, “when Dog Guides hosted its first fundraising walk forty years ago, it was a small community affair that supported our Canine Vision Program, the only program we offered at the time. Dog Guides has grown significantly over the past four decades. Today there are more than 800 working dog guides across seven different programs, providing life changing assistance to their handlers in every province.”
Despite its growth and evolution over the years, Dog Guides commitment to providing dog guides to all handlers free of charge, remains steadfast. Each dog guide costs approximately $35,000 to breed, raise, train and place. The Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, a fun, inclusive 5 km walk, is the largest annual fundraiser supporting Dog Guides’ operational costs.
Forty years ago, the small Oakville-based training school graduated approximately 20 Canine Vision teams annually. Today, Dog Guides:
- Has grown to a team of highly skilled instructors and dedicated staff, supported by more than 700 volunteers.
- Purposely breeds all their own dogs, including approximately 200 puppies annually to meet Dog Guides’ needs for health and temperament.
- Trains dog guides across seven programs including Canine Vision, Hearing, Seizure Response, Diabetes Alert, Autism Assistance, Service and Facility Support.
- Is a global leader that shares information and learnings with similar organizations around the world.
- Is building a new $50 million dollar, fully accessible, state-of-the-art training facility to better accommodate its clients and increase the number of teams it graduates annually.
In addition to Pet Valu’s national sponsorship for the Walk, Pet Valu franchisees, store operators and Animal Care Experts across Canada play an active role each year organizing and participating in walks in their local communities. Pet Valu also provides its premium line of Performatrin® brand dog food and treats to all puppies, breeding dogs and dog guides in training and since 2015, has provided additional financial support by sponsoring over 220 dog guide teams. In 2024, Pet Valu and its Companions for Change™ program committed $500,000 to support the Puppy Room, a modern, purpose-built room that will serve as a critical hub in Dog Guides’ new training school, scheduled to open in Oakville in 2026.
“Over the past 40 years, Dog Guides has made outstanding contributions and life changing impacts to the lives of thousands of Canadians with disabilities. Pet Valu is proud to continue our support for Dog Guides as they continue to broaden their impact,” says Tanbir Grover, Chief of Marketing and Digital Officer at Pet Valu. “The 40th anniversary walk on May 25 is a time to celebrate past achievements and fundraise to support even greater objectives in the future, and we encourage everyone to participate.”
For more information on the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides and its locations or to register, visit www.walkfordogguides.com.
About Pet Valu
Pet Valu is Canada’s leading retailer of pet food and pet-related supplies with over 800 corporate-owned or franchised locations across the country. For more than 45 years, Pet Valu has earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents by offering knowledgeable customer service, an extensive product offering and engaging in-store services. Through its local neighbourhood stores and digital platform, Pet Valu offers more than 10,000 competitively-priced products, including a broad assortment of exclusive, holistic and award-winning proprietary brands. The Company is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, and has distribution centres in Brampton, Ontario, Surrey, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta. Its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: PET). To learn more, please visit: www.petvalu.ca.
About Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides
Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides empowers Canadians living with disabilities to navigate their world with confidence and independence, by providing a dog guide at no cost and supporting them in their journey together. To learn more visit: www.dogguides.com. Follow LFCDG on social media at Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Katherine Clark
Beacon Strategic Communications
416-453-3288
katherine@beaconcommunications.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26981ddc-d2a5-4a6a-b3f6-e340f98d291e
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