Chamber welcomes Canine Companions
(Photo courtesy GREATER SANDPOINT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE) Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce board members, Chamber Ambassadors and chamber staff as well as volunteers, community members, and puppies show their support for Canine Companions Inland Northwest president, Lilly Mitsui, at a ribbon-cutting celebration on May 23.
SANDPOINT — There’s some good boys and girls being raised by the local Canine Companions chapter.
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed The Inland Northwest Chapter of Canine Companions for Independence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 23.
Founded in 1975, Canine Companions for Independence is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. The assistance dogs from Canine Companions aren’t just the ears, hands and legs of their human partners, they serve as goodwill ambassadors and often, best friends to their owner. They open new opportunities and new possibilities and spread incredible joy.
The Inland Northwest Chapter consists of enthusiastic volunteers, puppy raisers and graduate teams in north Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana. Their mission is to support Canine Companions for Independence through fundraising and community awareness.
“We’re hoping to continue to grow our Inland Northwest Chapter to include more volunteer puppy raisers. We have a local trainer in place helping each of us along the way. Every puppy we raise and every dollar we raise helps to take one more person off the waiting list to receive a skilled assistance dog from Canine Companions,” said chapter president Lilly Mitsui.
The community is invited to join Canine Companions on June 22 for DogFest North Idaho. Bring your dog, family, and friends to this fun, dog-friendly community event and festival. Registration is free.
DogFest North is a chance to meet assistance dogs and get some “puppy love” from their pups in training. For more information visit: cci.org/DogFestNorthIdaho. All proceeds benefit Canine Companions for Independence and the mission to provide expertly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities free of charge. DogFest is June 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Forrest Bird Charter School, 614 S. Madison Ave., Sandpoint.
To learn more about becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, go online to cci.org.