When Cindy retired, she knew she wanted to do something meaningful with her time. As a lifelong animal lover with a passion for canine care, she felt called to a very special role: becoming a volunteer brood carer with CNIB Guide Dogs.
With the support and encouragement of CNIB Guide Dogs staff, Cindy opened her heart and home to Riley, a brood dog selected for her sweet temperament and excellent health to help bring future CNIB guide dogs into the world.
“I have always had the desire to whelp a litter and my dream came true,” Cindy says.
From the very start, Riley proved to be more than just a fantastic guide dog mom – she was a ray of sunshine. “She’s equally obedient, kind, silly, and joyful,” says Cindy. “Having her with us helped us through a difficult time when we lost a family pet.”
These days, Riley is a beloved CNIB buddy dog to Cam, a wonderful boy with sight loss. Together, Cam and Riley are inseparable – whether they’re playing hide and seek, sharing cuddles, or going on adventures. Riley’s journey from brood dog to buddy dog is a beautiful example of the incredible impact one dog can have.
And now, she’s taken on a brand-new role: Race Director for this year’s CNIB Pup Crawl!
That means Riley is leading the charge for this year’s Pup Crawl – a fun, family-friendly five-kilometre virtual movement event in support of CNIB Guide Dogs. As the face of this year’s event, she’s rallying kind-hearted folks across the country to get involved and help raise awareness and funds for life-changing guide dogs.
But Riley’s legacy doesn’t stop there. Each of her puppies was carefully placed with loving volunteer puppy raisers who helped them grow into life-changing partners for people with sight loss. Some even graduated this year as part of the 2025 CNIB Guide Dogs’ graduating class! It’s a full-circle journey built on love, care, and community.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could make a difference in someone’s life (or several lives!), please consider volunteering with CNIB Guide Dogs. Whether it’s as a brood carer, a puppy raiser, or a boarder, every volunteer plays a vital role in supporting these remarkable dogs and the people who depend on them.
Cindy puts it best: “Whelping a litter is hard work, but it is extremely rewarding. One of the most rewarding is watching the puppies proceed through all the milestones in their growth and then start showing their individual personalities."
“Another rewarding and delightful aspect is all the puppy snuggles – the bigger the litter, the more snuggles! It puts a smile in my heart and on my face.”
For anyone considering a volunteer role, Cindy offers this piece of advice and reassurance: “Enjoy it all! Having Mom in the house full-time [was] a blessing for us. The support of the CNIB Guide Dogs team [made] us feel secure in our decision.”
Want to get involved? Learn more about volunteering with CNIB Guide Dogs and how you can help raise the next generation of life-changing dogs by visiting cnib.ca/puppyraising.
And don’t forget to register for this year’s Pup Crawl to help raise funds to meet the growing demands for CNIB guide dogs in Canada. All donations were matched, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, thanks to a generous donation from Mary and John Crocker! We’re already 96% of the way to our goal of $150,000! Visit cnib.ca/pupcrawl.