The dogs in the photo look very serious and it's because they're on a serious mission! This photo has been shared thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook since it's so adorable!
We learned about the story from CBC radio and they provided the details about these wonderful service dogs in training. The picture shows a group of pups ranging from poodles to golden retrievers sitting patiently in their cushy seats, taking in a production of Billy Elliot at the Stratford Festival last week.
From the Festival website:
"Relaxed performances are specifically designed to welcome patrons who will benefit from a less restricted audience environment. Patrons of all abilities are welcome, including but not limited to those with intellectual or learning disabilities, sensory processing conditions or autism. There is a relaxed attitude to noise and movement within the auditorium, and some minor production changes may be made to reduce the intensity of light, sound and other potentially startling effects. Babes in arms are also welcome to our relaxed performances."
What a wonderful training venue for these service dogs! The CBC Radio piece tells us that handlers must train at any event these dogs may attend in the future.
"It's important to prepare the dogs for any activity the handler may like to attend," says Laura Mackenzie, owner and head trainer with K-9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs, who led the Stratford Festival outing.
Think about how long these dogs must sit still! This is hard for many humans I know! We love the Stratford Festival for allowing these special performances where canines can come and "practice" behaviors like not eating food off the floor and sitting for long periods of time.
https://twitter.com/gmeanwell/status/1160975767444033540
This is one of my fave stories of the week!
From the story, it sounds like all the pooches did fine. The adorable photo of dogs should be shared everywhere as service dogs have an extremely important job.
Do you know any service dogs? Leave a comment below with your story.
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