ORLANDO, Fla. – It was a dog’s day at Disney World.
Winnifred, a 1-year-old yellow Labrador retriever/golden retriever mix, is training to become a Canine Companions for Independence service dog. Public outings and socialization are important in the puppy-raising process. It lays a foundation and allows the dog to acclimate to a human’s world.
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For the past few months, Winnifred and News 6 producer Haley Coomes have been working on their greetings in preparation for meeting Disney characters. During a recent visit to Epcot, Winnifred had several special photo ops, including ones with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto.
Winnifred has lived with her puppy raiser Haley since April 2019 and was with another family before that. Over the course of a year and a half, the goal is to make her qualified to be a specially trained assistance dog when she graduates in August 2020.
For more information on how to be a volunteer puppy raiser, click here.
Winnie greets Minnie during a photo shoot.