In the early 1980’s Lions Clubs across Canada sought to develop a national project to reflect their service to Canadians with visual impairments. The result was Lions Foundation of Canada and its founding program, Canine Vision Canada, which was established in 1985. Since then the Foundation has grown to include additional Dog Guide programs: Hearing Ear, Special Skills, Seizure Response, Autism Assistance, and soon to be introduced, Diabetic Alert Dog Guides.

Lions Foundation of Canada mission is to assist Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them Dog Guides at no cost. To do this, the Foundation operates Dog Guides Canada, a preeminent national training school and charity that assists individuals with disabilities through specialized Dog Guide programs. These Dog Guides are provided at no cost to eligible Canadians from coast to coast. The Foundation relies on donations from individuals, service clubs, foundations and corporations and does not receive any government funding.

Now the largest school of its kind in Canada, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides has two training facilities in Ontario: one in Breslau and another in Oakville, both of which serve Canadians across the country.