Birth
Making an entrance
It all begins at our nursery, the RBC Pavilion, in Sainte-Madeleine. Mira dogs are born here and stay by their mother’s side for 9 weeks.
Socialization
Foster family fun
At 9 weeks, the puppies are placed with foster families who are responsible for maintaining good health, developing appropriate behaviour, and socializing the dogs for 12 to 18 months.
Foster families receive veterinary care for free by Mira.
Vetdiet Dog food is offered free of charge by Mondou throughout the socialization period.
Evaluation and Training
Getting put to the test
At the age of one, the dogs return to Mira for a week. They are evaluated by an instructor to determine the program they will be assigned to.
Behavioural or health issues can keep dogs from passing the evaluation. If so, they’re offered to their foster family or the general public.
Pairing
Class is in session!
The dogs are finally paired with their beneficiaries and will participate in 1 to 4 weeks of classes together. During this time, beneficiaries live at Mira where all services and room and board are provided for free.
At work
It takes two
Once the assignment class is over, the dogs leave the foundation with their beneficiary. A Mira instructor will accompany each duo to ensure a smooth transition. Annual follow-up will be conducted with all our beneficiaries.
When a Mira dog’s working, remember: don’t touch!
Retirement
The golden years
Mira dogs retire when they can no longer perform their duties. A guide-dog or service dog will work an average of 7 years. When they retire, they can be adopted by a relative of their beneficiary, the foster family, or someone from the general public.
The average investment for raising and training a Mira dog.
$35,000
The average investment for raising and training a Mira dog.
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