A new four-legged friend joins the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) support team.
The CACAC is welcoming its newest team member: Rue, a facility dog provided by Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society.
Rue is the third Dogs with Wings (DWW) facility dog actively working at the centre.
He has been training with his new handler, RCMP Const. Heather Parenteau, and officially began supporting children and families on Monday, June 16.
“Our partnership with Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society is such an instrumental piece of the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, and our facility dogs truly make our services exceptional for our clients,” said Cassandra Galenzoski, chief operating officer of the CACAC.
“We are so fortunate to have a new addition of DWW Facility Dog Rue to join our current team of DWW Quinn and DWW Carter.”
Facility dogs like Quinn, Carter and now Rue provide a unique kind of support.
Specially trained to work in sensitive environments, they offer comfort and calm to children navigating trauma and abuse.
Whether it’s sitting beside a child during a forensic interview or lending a paw during the court process, the dogs help reduce anxiety, build trust and create space for healing.
Rue’s placement was made possible thanks to funding from Royal LePage Real Estate Corp. in Red Deer, a longtime supporter of the centre that also helped bring DWW Quinn on board in 2020.
Dogs with Wings facility dogs work in a variety of settings, including child advocacy centres, hospitals, courtrooms, police stations, victim services and schools.
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