Who鈥檚 having a great summer? I know I am.
I鈥檓 Clancy the Golden Retriever who lives next door to Pet Treat Bakery鈥檚 (PTB) micro processing facility. They are the ones who make all-natural beef, chicken and liver treats without any additives. For all you folks who care about what your pet eats, you may want to check them out. PTB sells their treats out of Beaufort Association for Inclusion in Action at 495 6th Street. Beaufort Association operates day programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
Did you know that Pet Treat Bakery is staffed by people with disabilities. Some of these folks tell me they wouldn鈥檛 be able to find a job elsewhere. That鈥檚 too bad. I鈥檓 not sure why but I think it is because not all humans see past a physical or developmental disability to the person inside. Us dogs don鈥檛 think anything of a fellow animal hopping down the street with three legs instead of four.
I learned from Tony, the manager at PTB that in B.C. people with a disability are employed at a rate of 48.4 per cent compared to 70.2 per cent for those without disability. Anyone can have a disability, and a disability can occur at any point in a human鈥檚 life, though are more common among adults 65 years of age and older. 20.5% of British Columbians between the ages of 15 and 64 live with a disability.
Some Golden Retrievers like me work as guide dogs for humans. Seeing-eye dogs are specifically trained to lead blind and visually impaired humans, helping them get out to places they normally wouldn鈥檛 be able to get to. We are known to work hard and be loyal, we also love the treats we get after a long day鈥檚 work.
So, if any of you humans are employers, please think about having an inclusive employment policy so that all humans have a chance at getting a job like the folks at PTB do. And if you want to find out more about the guide dog program that needs human volunteers, please check out Canadian Guide Dogs at guidedog.ca.
