There’s a new four-legged hire at Lowe’s, and she’s got some big shoes to fill.
Owen Lima, who suffers from a brain injury, had roamed the aisles of Lowe’s Northgate Mall location in Regina with his service dog Blue since being hired by the store last June.
Blue had been with Lima for nearly a decade when he had to be put down in December.
READ MORE: Canine staffer at Regina Lowe’s store passes away
“I bawled like a baby. Blue was a trooper right to the end. He was awesome,” Lima said.
“Since Blue went away two months ago, it’s been hard.”
Baby Blue, a five-year-old Husky-Border Collie mix, will now be joining Lima in the aisles of Lowe’s.
“It’s going to fill a void that’s in my life,” Lima said.
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As soon as dog trainer Gary Overs saw Baby Blue at the Lucky Paws Dog Rescue, he knew she would be the right match for Lima.
“It almost makes you cry. It really does. Everybody knows Owen, and everybody knows, ‘is this the brand new dog, is this the brand new dog?’” he said.
“We were looking for a low energy dog that’s non-reactive,” Overs said. “And that’s certainly Baby Blue. She’s just the calmest, laid-back dog.”
Overs has been training Baby Blue for about three hours a day over the last week.
“With the new Baby Blue, Owen’s eyes light up, he has a smile from ear to ear, and it’s such a difference to have Baby Blue come to his side,” Maureen Lang, Lowe’s human resources manager, said.
“Owen’s made a difference in all of our lives because he has such a great attitude,” Lang said.
“He’s always upbeat, and he always leads by example. He’s a very big inspiration to everybody that works here.”
There will be two fundraisers on Thursday and Friday nights at the Press Box to help cover some of the veterinary costs and training.
Lima is hoping to take Baby Blue home for the first time on Friday night.
“I’m going to give Baby Blue a life that most people would love,” Lima said.
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