Washington DC: A photo of Canadian service dogs attending a ‘Billy Elliot’ production in a Canadian theatre last week is all over the internet. The photo shows poodles and golden retrievers occupying at least four rows and attentively watching the stage during the Stratford Festival in Ontario. The objective was to avoid fur from flying during the live show so the pups can help their handlers navigate a theatre atmosphere. “It’s important to prepare the dogs for any activity the handler may like to attend,” Laura Mackenzie, owner of K-9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs and who spearheaded the outing told CBC radio, cited Fox News. “The theatre gives us the opportunity to expose the dogs to different stimuli such as lights, loud noises and movement of varying degrees,” Fox quoted him. Stratford Festival spokesperson Ann Swerdfager told the radio station that both cast and audience members were thrilled to see the dogs. Also, it’s a unique training method that gives service handlers an advantage. (ANI)
