Central Alberta
Service Dog program looking for volunteer “Puppy Raisers” and boarding homes
Red Deer Puppy Raising Program Announcement
Dogs with Wings (DWW) is launching a new volunteer puppy raising program in Red Deer, AB this Spring! The Red Deer puppy raising program is a satellite puppy raising program where volunteers raise, train, and foster puppies from 8 weeks old to 14 – 16 months old and prepare them to become Service Dogs when they grow up. The Red Deer program will need full time puppy raisers and boarding homes, to puppy sit when puppy raisers are away. This program will join our three other locations in Edmonton, Calgary, and Grande Prairie and it’s an exciting time for us!
We have partnered with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) in Red Deer for this special announcement. In October 2020, we placed our Facility Dog DWW Quinn at the CACAC to assist them in the important work that they do in their community.
“Having Quinn as a part of our Child & Family Advocacy program provides a huge amount of comfort not only to the children and youth coming through our doors, but to their families and our entire staff as well. We’re excited for Central Alberta to have the opportunity to be a part of a program that has such a great impact in our community – these puppies are going to make a huge difference in many lives, starting with their foster families’.” Mark Jones, CEO, CACAC
Quinn is our 5th Assistance Dog to live in Red Deer, alongside Facility Dog DWW Harley at the Red Deer City Victim Services, two Companion Dogs, and one Autism Service Dog.
Dogs with Wings relies heavily on the assistance of our volunteer puppy raisers to be able to have our dogs earn their wings and graduate with a client! Our dogs help individuals with a wide range of tasks, ranging from assisting individuals who use wheelchairs, to providing safety and support to children with Autism, to assisting children and adults with disabilities at home and in their communities, and working with organizations to assist them in their community work. We need your help to become a puppy raiser! We are looking for 5 volunteer Puppy Raisers and 3 volunteer Boarding Homes to welcome puppies into their home this spring.
“Puppy Raisers are the cornerstone of our training program at Dogs with Wings. At the heart of every successful assistance dog team is a puppy raiser who embraced the opportunity to raise a special puppy, teach them to feel safe in the world, and help them learn the skills necessary to have a solid foundation for their working career. We look forward to expanding this program to the Red Deer community.” – Doreen Slessor, Executive Director, Dogs with Wings.
As a Puppy Raiser, you become part of our team that works toward fulfilling our mission, which is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by providing them with highly skilled Assistance Dogs that increase their mobility, foster independence, and further their contributions to the community. The position of Puppy Raiser is the most demanding and rewarding. By accepting the care and education of a DWW puppy, you become one of our most valuable team players. A Puppy Raiser is a 24-hour, 7 days per week volunteer position.
The role of the Puppy Raiser is to socialize a puppy to as many environments and situations as possible. The puppy must be exposed to various situations, on a regular basis, such as: offices, malls, restaurants, downtown areas, elevators, and public transportation. The ultimate goal of a Puppy Raiser is to help the puppy develop sufficient social skills to behave in such a manner that its presence will be acceptable in all circumstances. DWW provides care for your dog when you are on vacation and covers the cost of all dog food, gear and equipment, training equipment, food bowls, service dog in training jacket, and covers the cost of all veterinary expenses. All you need to do is provide a name tag, toys, a bed, and treats! To become a Puppy Raiser, all that we ask is that one adult must be home during the day (or able to bring the puppy to work with you) and that you attend weekly training classes. For more information on our criteria and expectations, please contact us!
“Dogs with Wings is excited to open a new puppy raising program in Red Deer and expand our puppy raising program. This will allow us the opportunity to raise and train more dogs to help our clients. It has been an absolute privileged to work with the clients in the Red Deer and Central Alberta community and to see our dogs make such an incredible difference in their lives.” – Veronica Fraser, Dogs with Wings Instructor & Training Manager.
If you are interested in being a Puppy Raiser, please complete and send this application form: http://dogswithwings.ca/volunteer-application/. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our office at (780) 944-8011 or via e-mail at [email protected].
More information about our organization and the programs we offer can also be found on our website (https://dogswithwings.ca/helping-us/volunteering-edmonton-calgary/_ at www.dogswithwings.ca. Thank you for your interest in being a Puppy Raiser that will help a dog earn its wings and give the gift of independence to someone in your community!
About DWW: Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society’s (DWW) mission is to foster integration and independence for individuals with disabilities by providing them with highly trained Assistance Dogs and aftercare. They are a registered Non-Profit Society with a volunteer Board of Directors. Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society is an internationally accredited organization through Assistance Dogs International (ADI). Dogs with Wings specializes in the following areas: Service Dogs, Autism Service Dogs, Facility Dogs, and Companion Dogs. Service Dogs assist people with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs to enhance their quality of life and achieve greater independence. Autism Service Dogs provide greater safety and independence for children with Autism. Facility Dogs are part of a specially trained team that provides goal directed interventions, which promote improvement in physical, social, emotional, or cognitive abilities. Companion Dogs assist those who would benefit from having a well-trained service dog, but do not require public access. For more information, visit www.dogswithwings.ca
Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC): The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre is a not-for-profit organization rooted in the protection and recovery of today’s most innocent and vulnerable – our children. The Centre is comprised of a collective that is driven by the courage to support children, youth, and their families affected by abuse, enabling them to build enduring strength and overcome adversity. We work in a collaborative partnership with the Central Region Children’s Services, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Justice, Alberta Education, the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre and the RCMP. Together we harness our collective courage to provide children with supported recovery. For more information on CACAC, please visit: centralalbertacac.ca
A new team of Alberta Sheriffs will work alongside police to keep crime out of central Alberta communities by targeting problem properties.
Since 2023, Alberta’s government has invested more than $27 million to help fight crime throughout the province. Building on these efforts, the government is now expanding the Alberta Sheriffs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit with the creation of a new team of investigators in Red Deer. The creation of the Red Deer SCAN team is the latest in a series of measures aimed at enhancing public safety and increasing the Alberta Sheriffs’ ability to support police throughout the province.
The move puts more resources on the ground with a team of qualified experts who will investigate properties where illegal activity has been reported and shut them down through court orders when needed. The Red Deer SCAN team – made up of four Alberta Sheriffs – joins existing SCAN teams in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge, which have proven immensely effective in working alongside local police to shutter problem properties throughout the province.
“Alberta’s government will always maintain a zero-tolerance stance toward crime of any kind, and the expansion of the Alberta Sheriffs’ SCAN unit reflects that. With the creation of a new SCAN team in Red Deer, we’re expanding the unit’s coverage even further and putting more boots on the ground where they’re needed. Let this be a message to all criminals: you are not welcome here. Communities in the Red Deer area have a right not to be plagued by drug and other criminal activity that create dangerous environments, and Alberta’s government will do whatever it takes to keep people safe.”
The Sheriffs’ SCAN unit operates under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, which uses legal sanctions and court orders to hold owners accountable for illegal activity happening on their property, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and child exploitation. SCAN augments and supports local police to both investigate and close properties where evidence of criminal activity has been confirmed.
“Ensuring safety for law-abiding Albertans is of utmost importance for Alberta’s government and requires a comprehensive approach to effectively combat and prevent criminal activity. This involves enhancing law-enforcement resources, fostering community engagement, implementing crime prevention programs, and promoting collaboration between Alberta Sheriffs and local police. This SCAN team is a game-changer in central Alberta and puts criminals on notice that they are not welcome here.”
“The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act holds property owners accountable for activities on their property that threaten public safety. Alberta’s SCAN teams support policing efforts by addressing illegal activities on these properties. This additional team will enhance RCMP community safety programs.”
When a community member reports a problem property to SCAN, the unit begins an investigation. Once the investigation confirms the activity, investigators contact the property owner to try and resolve the issue informally. If informal efforts are unsuccessful, SCAN can apply to the courts for a community safety order to impose restrictions and conditions on the property and its owner, which could include closing the property for up to 90 days. Any criminal activity uncovered when dealing with these properties is turned over to the police to investigate.
“Over the years, SCAN’s impact on community safety has been profound. More often than not, we see individuals in these problem properties carrying out drug operations and other criminal activities beside homes, schools, playgrounds and other places where Albertans’ safety should never be in question. Crime has no place in any Alberta neighbourhood, and we look forward to working with our policing partners in the Red Deer area to help keep central Alberta communities safe.”
SCAN continues to see tremendous success, having closed problem properties in Lethbridge, Calgary, Spruce Grove and Medicine Hat in the last six months alone. Since May 2024, Alberta’s government has publicly announced the closure of seven problem properties by SCAN, including three in Calgary, two in Lethbridge, and one each in Spruce Grove and Medicine Hat.
“Creating a safer environment for our citizens improves the overall quality of our community in Red Deer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alberta’s government, SCAN and all our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe. This is great news for the City of Red Deer, and together, we can make our community safer. I encourage residents to report any suspicious activity to the SCAN unit.”
The Red Deer SCAN team’s operational boundaries encompass the city of Red Deer and its surrounding communities and rural areas, providing coverage to the central area spanning Ponoka to the north and Olds to the south.
From Blackfalds RCMP
Blackfalds RCMP execute search warrant seizing drugs and guns
Blackfalds, Alta. – In September of 2024 the Blackfalds RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) with assistance from Sylvan Lake GIS entered into an investigation involving an individual believed to be trafficking drugs in the community. As a result of the investigation, on Oct. 2, 2024, Blackfalds RCMP with assistance from Innisfail RCMP GIS and Red Deer RCMP Police Dog Service executed a search warrant at a home in Blackfalds.
As a result of the search RCMP seized:
- 253 grams of Cocaine
- $3343 in Currency
- 6 firearms
RCMP have arrested and charged Blackfalds resident, Lotus Joan Silver Stalteri-Roberts (25), with:
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking;
- Possession of stolen property under $5000;
- Weapons offences (x8).
Stalteri-Roberts was taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody with her next court date set for Oct. 3, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
“This investigation saw the effective coordination of different RCMP Detachments and Sections to quickly and safely remove these drugs and guns from our community,” says Staff Sergeant Andrew Allan.
If you have any information about this investigation or about drug trafficking in the Blackfalds area please contact Blackfalds RCMP at 403-885-3333 or submit an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.
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