Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs

08/18/2025

LAST SUMMER PET FIRST AID COURSE AUGUST 23rd. Have you registered yet? If not, you have until Wednesday to get your registration in. What a great way to end the summer AND, everyone who attends this class gets to take home a FREE temporary muzzle. We'll show you how to use it in class with an injured dog who is in pain so that the rescuer doesn't get bit and need rescuing themselves! Email courses@goadogs.ca to reserve your spot in this upcoming class. There are only 3 other dates left in 2025 after this class so the door of opportunity is quickly closing. "DON'T LEARN BY ACCIDENT...YOUR PET IS COUNTING ON YOU TO BE THEIR FIRST RESPONDER!"

08/17/2025

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER: Congratulations to DAWN ALWARD who has won the draw for a "2 for 1" Pet Tech Pet CPR & First Aid course! Dawn stopped by the Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs booth at Pawlooza yesterday and with many others tested her knowledge of Pet First Aid and entered the draw. She's about to become her dogs' Hero and FIRST RESPONDER! Why not join Dawn and register into one of the 4 remaining classes this fall and learn how to save your pet's life in a medical emergency. Remember..."You can't call 911 for a pet. YOU have to be their First Responder". There are still a few seats left in the August 23rd class but registration closes on Wednesday so ACT FAST if you want to join the last summer class! For information about the course and the available dates go to https://www.goadogs.ca/html/pet_first_aid.html

07/28/2025

And we have a WINNER! Congratulations to COOPER JUETT who has won the draw for a "2 for 1" Pet Tech Pet CPR & First Aid course! Cooper stopped by the Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs booth at Dorchester Pet Fest this weekend and with many others tested his knowledge of Pet First Aid and entered the draw. He's about to become his new pup's Hero and FIRST RESPONDER! Why not join Cooper and register into one of the 4 remaining classes this fall and learn how to save your pet's life in a medical emergency. Remember..."You can't call 911 for a pet. YOU have to be their First Responder". For information about the course and the available dates go to https://www.goadogs.ca/html/pet_first_aid.html

07/22/2025

CONGRATULATIONS TO Lauren Quinton, winner of a Pet Tech "2 for 1" Pet CPR & First Aid course. She visited the Golden Opportunity Assistance Dogs' booth at the 2025 Pawsitively Elgin Dog Festival this past weekend, tested her knowledge of Pet First Aid and entered the draw for this amazing prize! Her new golden pup "Buddy" is gonna be one lucky dog to have pet parents trained how to save his life in a medical emergency! To everyone else who entered the draw, don't forget to use your special show discount coupon by July 31st and book into one of our fall classes. Your pets are counting on YOU to be their First Responders!

07/16/2025

OPEN FOR REGISTRATION: The new autumn dates have just been released for the full day Pet CPR & First Aid course in London, ON. Beat the summer festival crowds and reserve your seat in one of these amazing classes. If these dates don't fit your schedule, consider organizing your own private group of 6-12 pet parents or pet professionals and contact us to arrange a date that works for your group!

07/12/2025

Only one week to go! We're still looking for volunteers to help in our booth at Pawsitively Elgin Dog Festival next weekend, July 19 & 20 . If you want to spend a day surrounded by dogs and help us promote our Pet CPR & First Aid course, let us know and send an email to volunteers@goadogs.ca and we'd love to see how we can get you plugged in. We also are looking for help at 2 more festivals coming up July 26-27 and August 16. Help with one or help with all!

Clear your weekend plans—this one’s going to the dogs!
📍 Pinafore Park, St. Thomas
🗓️ Saturday, July 19 (10AM–5PM)
🗓️ Sunday, July 20 (10AM–3PM)
🎟️ $10/day Kids 12 and Under FREE • 💳 Interac available

06/19/2025

Be informed! PS. The next Pet CPR & First Aid course (and last one before the fall) is coming up on Sat. July 5th. If you want to learn valuable skills that can save your pet's life in a medical emergency, please consider taking ONE DAY out of your life and joining this class. It is time well spent! Registrations will close early for this class so register soon to reserve your spot...and bring a friend along too! Information can be found at https://www.goadogs.ca/html/pet_first_aid.html

🚫🐶 Blue-Green Algae: A Deadly Danger For Dogs!

Blue-green algae might look like harmless scum or discolored water … but it's actually toxic bacteria that can make your dog very sick — or even be deadly. Just a quick swim or a sip of contaminated water is enough to cause serious harm.

Toxins from blue-green algae can lead to:
⚠️ Liver damage or failure
⚠️ Seizures, tremors, or paralysis
⚠️ Vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
⚠️ Breathing issues
⚠️ Disorientation or even coma

Symptoms can show up within 30 minutes, so always keep a close eye after water play. If you notice any of these signs, get your dog to the vet right away!

👉 Learn more about blue-green algae risks at Dogs Naturally Magazine: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/blue-green-algae-risks-to-dogs/
👉 You can even test your water at home before letting your pup swim!
Home test for blue-green algae:
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/wq-swm1-04.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2fTlcWmWtlyThvqzaK2nTq4ZXqtr9UAtotCVTFopyhcmakqnAravQ1vqc
Shop blue-green algae test:
https://www.5strands.com/products/blue-green-algae-water-test?wickedsource=google&wickedid=409883115554&wv=3.1&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVjMsDSPf2ulWDxuQXAnReKcF6yVSzhs3A_Qvv6J6dppexhyNoqj764aAjIGEALw_wcB

04/25/2025

Nice graphic...simple to understand. This is SO important as summer heat will be upon us before we know it. I had to help several dogs at various festivals last summer who were in various stages of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It is VERY serious and can be lift threatening, even a few days later when their organs all the sudden fail from the heat damage. This and many more reasons are why I teach a full day Pet CPR & First Aid course. There are often no "do-overs" with pet health and the lucky pets aren't lucky by accident, they are lucky because their pet parents know how to prevent emergencies like this and if they do happen, they know how to RESPOND correctly in a medical emergency. If you've never taken a Pet First Aid course before, I'd encourage you to check out our course and register into a class BEFORE summer hits. A LOT of medical emergencies and accidents happen in the summer months when everyone is outdoors and very active. "BE PREPARED...NOT SCARED! You can't call 911 in a medical emergency. YOU have to be your pet's FIRST RESPONDER." For details about our course, go to https://www.goadogs.ca/html/pet_first_aid.html. It is a day well-spent and you won't regret it! PS. All class fees support the training of service dogs for people with disabilities so it is a Win-Win! Dates are coming up in May and June and class sizes are limited to ensure the best learning experience so don't delay...grab another pet parent and sign up.

🚩Don’t forget our furry friends feel the heat too! Dogs can quickly overheat, even on days that feel mild to us. Once temperatures hit 20°C and above, it’s important to limit vigorous activity, ensure access to shade and water, and avoid hot pavement. Always check the ground with your hand—if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them. Let’s keep them cool, safe, and happy as the weather gets warmer! 🐶🌞

04/01/2025

CALLING ALL PET PARENTS...April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month. Have YOU been trained how to administer first aid to your dog or cat in a medical emergency? Do you know how to properly flush and bandage a wound, help a dog who's choking, perform CPR when they stop breathing, splint a broken limb, assess critical vitals, save a dog from heatstroke? If you can't confidently say "YES" to even ONE of those questions, NOW is the time to learn. APRIL 26 is our next full day course where you can learn all this an MORE. Grab another pet parent and come join this class to celebrate Pet First Aid Awareness Month. There will be a price increase in May so take advantage of the April class and save some $. Too any pet parents learn by "accident" and often it's too late. A little prevention goes a long way in ensuring a long, happy and healthy life for your pet. For more details and registration information, go to https://www.goadogs.ca/html/pet_first_aid.html. ALL course fees support the training of local service dogs for people with disabilities so it is a WIN-WIN.

03/23/2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122205571814122458&set=a.122100337712122458

Continuing our tick prevention week, let’s talk about garlic.

🧄Feeding freshly chopped organic garlic is a great 1st step toward tick prevention. Freshly chopped garlic has insect repellent properties that, when consumed, release through your dog's skin and breath, making them less attractive to ticks. In other words, it changes the way our pets smell in a way that is not perceptible to us, but that insects don't like. (think how you smell like garlic when you work out at the gym the day after eating a large amount of garlic for dinner)

🧄Start adding it to their food now because it takes a couple of weeks to have an effect.

🧄Garlic being bad for dogs is a myth based on very flawed studies that fed ridiculously large amounts of garlic to dogs. Far more than anyone would ever feed, or even any human would consume at one time. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11108195/)

🧄Given in small, appropriate amounts, garlic is not only a good insect repellent, but it is also a very nutritious and medicinal plant.

🧄Garlic is high in inulin, amino acids, sulfur, zinc, potassium and phosphorus

🧄Garlic contains vitamins A, C and B-complex, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and germanium.

🧄Check the comments for a graphic on how much garlic to feed your pup.

⚠️Do not feed garlic to puppies under 6 months old and use caution with Shiba Inus and Akitas as these breeds are genetically more sensitive to the compounds in garlic.

Come back all week for more tick prevention ideas....

03/15/2025

REMINDER: Next Pet First Aid & CPR course is coming up on Saturday, March 22nd. Grab a friend and register by Wednesday if you wish to participate in this class. If you can't make the March class, join the April 26th class. Email courses@GOADogs.ca to register or call 519-670-1809.

02/27/2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1068180678680265&set=a.548438010654537

🌸🐾 Gentle Reminder for Cat Owners! 🐾🌸

Did you know that lilies are extremely poisonous to our feline friends? Even having them in a separate room can put your cats in danger. The pollen from these beautiful flowers can become airborne, and when your cats groom themselves, they can inadvertently ingest harmful toxins, leading to poisoning or even kidney failure.

For the safety of your furry companions, it’s best to avoid having lilies in or around your home altogether. Let's keep our pets safe and healthy! 💖🐱