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Transcript: Ollie and Hope / Lauren and Gemini
Collar of Duty Kids
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a martial arts studio, a bearded sensei wears a black karate Gi.
BEARDED SENSEI: Guard stance, go! Hi-ya!
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Ollie, a boy with short brown hair, punches a punching bag. In a backyard covered in deep snow, Ollie throws a snowball and Hope, a black Labrador retriever, leaps and catches it.
NARRATOR: 12-year-old Ollie's pulling no punches with buddy dog Hope by his side.
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, Ollie leans over Hope and pets her as she curls up on the couch beside him.
OLLIE: She's completely changed my life.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A person picks up a tiny golden puppy whose eyes are squeezed shut. They pick up a black puppy whose eyes are closed as well.
NARRATOR: It's time to tumble, cuddle, and play for a brand-new litter of future dog guide puppies.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Lauren, a brown-haired girl who has Down syndrome, waves. She wears pink eyeglasses, a black jacket, and peach pants. Lauren puts on lip gloss. In an indoor riding arena, a woman with long, dark brown hair in a ponytail holds Lauren, who is petting a brown horse with a white blaze. An adult stands on each side of the horse, and another person stands behind them.
NARRATOR: Six-year-old Lauren rides a sensory trail ride with therapy horse Gemini.
[Lauren laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes sits beside a man with a shaved head and a red beard and moustache. Outside, Lauren rides the brown horse, Gemini.
BLUE-EYED WOMAN: They've completely blown me away with what they've been doing.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie opens the red front door of his house. In the foyer, he picks up a skateboard.
OLLIE: Hi, I'm Ollie. Welcome to my home. This is my special skateboard. It's one of my most greatest treasures.
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, Ollie sits on a grey couch. In the foyer, Ollie pets Hope.
OLLIE: My name is Ollie. I am 12 years old. This is my dog, Hope. She's a very good girl. Say hi, Hope.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie leans his head against Hope. In the foyer, he attaches Hope’s leash to her collar. She wears a yellow service vest. Outside, Ollie holds Hope’s leash in one hand and uses his roller-tip cane with the other.
NARRATOR: Hope isn't your average dog. She's a C.N.I.B. buddy dog. That means she's a specially trained pup offering Ollie companionship and confidence as he goes about his daily adventures as a kid who happens to be blind.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the house, a grey-and-white cat walks to where Hope sits and rubs against her. Outside, Ollie lies in the deep snow, and Hope jumps around him. In his backyard, Ollie throws the snowball and Hope leaps.
OLLIE: Hope is very sensitive to people's feelings. She's very playful and excitable.
NARRATOR: When she's off duty, of course, which is perfect, because she needs to keep up with Ollie's very active lifestyle.
[A person cheers]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Ollie, in goal, covering a puck on the ice. Video footage shows Ollie riding his skateboard on a half-pipe. A man wearing a helmet holds his hands and runs back and forth with him. On a hill, Ollie rides his snowboard.
OLLIE: I like to do a lot of different sports. Hockey, skateboarding, snowboarding, karate.
[Sensei and students grunt]
DESCRIPTION: In karate class, Ollie punches forward. In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. Mario has short grey hair, a beard, and a moustache. He wears eyeglasses, a red ball cap with a maple leaf on the front and a grey jacket. Dawn has bobbed grey hair and wears eyeglasses, a grey sweater, and a blue blouse.
MARIO: I'm Ollie's dad. My name is Mario.
DAWN: And I'm Dawn, and I am Ollie's mom. We are in our family home in Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada.
DESCRIPTION: The family poses on their porch steps, smiling. In the Byward Market, in Ottawa, large white letters spell “Ottawa.” At home, Ollie sits on the couch. A photograph shows Ollie without hair, using a wheelchair. He gives a thumbs up as Dawn poses beside him. Both wear masks over their mouths and noses. A second photo shows Ollie sitting on a hospital bed, hugging a stuffed lamb.
[Light music plays]
OLLIE: My blindness was a rare occurrence. I went blind because of cancer. I didn't really know what it was like to be blind.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Ollie poses, without hair and wearing a face mask, beside people in red-and-white striped suits. One wears a red clown nose.
NARRATOR: But Ollie proved to be unstoppable.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Ollie lies on a hospital bed wearing a Superman shirt and striped pants. He has an I.V. tube in his arm and wears a mask. In another photograph, younger Ollie, without hair, wears a hooded sweater with the text “Cancer slaying warrior.”
DAWN: He's really a wonder. Even before he lost his vision, before he had cancer and had to go through so much, he was always a super interesting little kid.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the house, Hope lies on the floor.
NARRATOR: Hope's friendly nature has helped Ollie to be more social again.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: The more things we do with her, the more people we meet.
DESCRIPTION: In the foyer, Ollie fastens Hope’s vest.
OLLIE: Sofia.
SOFIA: Yes?
OLLIE: Come pass me the leash.
DESCRIPTION: Sofia has shoulder-length curly brown hair. She wears eyeglasses and a pink shirt. In the foyer, Ollie attaches Hope’s leash to her collar. He and Sofia leave with Hope.
SOFIA: I'm Sofia, and I'm a friend of Ollie's. I love Hope. She's very energetic, but she's also very well-behaved. When Ollie and I hang out, we like to like take Hope for walks.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the C.N.I.B. Canine Campus near the town of Carleton Place, surrounded by fields. A black and yellow sign by the road reads, “C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs.” Text on the side of an S.U.V. reads, “C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. Life-changers on board! CNIBGuideDogs.ca.”
NARRATOR: Hope was trained at the C.N.I.B., which stands for Canadian National Institute for the Blind. It's here at the C.N.I.B. Canine Campus just outside Ottawa, Ontario, that she got her buddy dog certification.
DESCRIPTION: In the building, Miriam stands in a large open room. She has long grey hair and wears eyeglasses, a black shirt, and black pants. The room features a patio set, a bus shelter, a traffic light and a crossing button. Near the edge of a sidewalk is a yellow, bumpy metal strip, similar to the one found on a subway platform.
MIRIAM: My name is Miriam Mas. I'm the program lead for the Buddy Dog and Ambassador Dog Training at C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. We're right now at the Canine Campus of C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. This room is designed to help train the dogs in a safe environment with sidewalks and stairs.
DESCRIPTION: On a windowsill, two stuffed dogs wear yellow service vests.
NARRATOR: Wow, this mock city is an incredible training ground for Hope and dogs like her. But what's the difference between a guide dog and a buddy dog?
DESCRIPTION: A painting on the wall features a black Labrador retriever puppy. Ollie pets Hope. Outside, Ollie and Hope cross a snowy street.
MIRIAM: Buddy dogs are dogs that had had a lot of training, a lot of socialization, but for different reasons, didn't quite make it to become a guide dog. And they then are paired with children or youth. They become a great companion for the children. They're not looked at as a service dog. They don't share the same public access rights. But they do provide a great deal of support. In Hope's case, particularly, she didn't make it as a guide dog because she has body sensitivity.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: She would've made a great guide dog. She passed all of her tests with flying colours. But when we would put the harness on her, it was so evident that she was not super happy about it. And we want our guide dogs to be happy in service.
DESCRIPTION: On the sidewalk, Ollie and Sofia smile as they walk with Hope.
MIRIAM NARRATES: It became obvious that the role of a guide dog was not for her, but the buddy dog role being a lot more relaxed was really, really good for her.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Hope, as a puppy, is running in a yellow vest.
NARRATOR: Luckily for Ollie, Hope becoming a buddy dog meant they could be matched, leading to the first day they met.
[Person chatters]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Hope plays with a toy in the snow. In his living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: First time I met Hope, the program ambassador, Miriam, brought her to our house.
MIRIAM: When I bring a buddy dog into the family, I let the dog go free into the home.
[Bell jingles, footsteps patter]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction, Hope runs into the living room and to Ollie, who sits on the couch.
MIRIAM: Go say hi.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
MARIO: It was awesome, Hope came in and she beelines it for Ollie.
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope jumps up and licks Ollie’s face.
OLLIE: Oh!
MARIO: Almost like she, and dogs…
DAWN: She knew, she knew…
MARIO: Right, obviously, did right.
DAWN: He was her kid.
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope crosses the living room to Dawn and a girl with long brown hair.
DAWN: Good girl. Yeah.
BROWN-HAIRED GIRL: How are you? It's nice to see you.
DESCRIPTION: In the training room, Miriam smiles.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope licks Ollie in the living room.
MIRIAM: Hope went straight to Ollie, gave him kisses, and that was beautiful to see. There was already a connection that was beyond my expectations.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: I honestly believe it was meant to be.
MARIO: And you say you're not corny.
DAWN: I am.
[Child laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Dawn and the brown-haired girl pet Hope.
MARIAM: Yeah.
DAWN: How are you? It's so nice to see you.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: Immediately at that point, she and I both knew that we'd be matched. She's completely changed my entire life.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Hope lies on her back, and Ollie pets her.
NARRATOR: Hope's impact on Ollie was obvious, even on the first night.
DESCRIPTION: Hope lies on a mattress on the floor. A photograph shows Ollie sleeping with his arm around Hope.
DAWN: From the very outset, her being there like totally helped to calm him. He had not slept a single night by himself almost 20 months. He would wake in the night with a nightmare or you know, fearful or what have you, 'cause he'd been through a lot. And we woke up the next morning, it was the first night he slept through the night in almost two years.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the couch, Ollie smiles and rests his head against Hope. In the evening, Hope, Ollie, and Dawn leave the house and walk on a downtown sidewalk. Ollie wears his karate Gi.
NARRATOR: And a good night's sleep was just the beginning. Now, Hope accompanies Ollie wherever she can. And tonight, they're on their way to downtown Ottawa for a C.N.I.B. karate class.
DESCRIPTION: In the class, Ollie and the other students sit on mats on the floor. Hope lies on her own mat between Ollie and another boy.
BEARDED SENSEI: We're gonna do a quick little stretch.
CLASS: Yes, sensei.
NARRATOR: Hope even gets her own mat.
OLLIE: A lot of the kids like seeing her. She loves to see the senseis.
DESCRIPTION: The students pet Hope. She walks to the seated sensei and sits. He gets up and walks her back to her mat.
BEARDED SENSEI: Hope, that's your mat. That's your mat.
OLLIE: Hope, down.
DESCRIPTION: The bearded sensei, Sensei Cody, has short brown hair.
SENSEI CODY: My name is Sensei Cody.
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Lyne wears a bandana over her long brown hair. She wears a black Gi.
SENSEI LYNE: I'm Sensei Lyne.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch. In the class, the students jump on their mats. Ollie wears a green-and-orange belt.
OLLIE: Sensei Cody and Sensei Lyne were two of my first senseis after I had cancer. I've been doing it for a few years. I'm one of the highest belts in my class now.
DESCRIPTION: The class high-fives. Sensei Lyne high-fives Ollie.
SENSEI LYNE: High five. Now, oh, ouch!
SENSEI CODY: Everyone into our guard stance. Guard stance, go! Hi-ya! From your chin, we're gonna punch out and then pull it right back in. Ready, kiai, go. Hi-ya!
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Cody and the students punch the air.
NARRATOR: Wow. Ollie really has a solid jab.
SENSEI CODY: Just like that. Okay, are you guys ready to hit some stuff?
CLASS: Yes!
SENSEI CODY: I knew it. We're gonna use the pads.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Cody holds two purple focus pads, and Ollie practices his jabs.
NARRATOR: Hope is a welcome presence in the karate class, and many of Ollie's fellow students and friends can attest to that.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Kayden, a teenager wearing a black bucket hat, eyeglasses, and a purple shirt, stands with parents and students sitting behind him.
KAYDEN: My name's Kayden. I'm 14 years old. It's honestly super exciting to see Hope walk through the doors.
DESCRIPTION: In class, Hope lies on her mat. She sits beside Sensei Cody, and he smiles, his hand resting on her side.
SENSEI CODY: Hope is the kind of student that we work with all the time. A great listener, very friendly. Having hope by his side was definitely a good addition to the class and to his progress. The biggest changes that I've seen has been his confidence.
DESCRIPTION: Cody punches the focus pads and smiles.
NARRATOR: This newfound confidence has led to Ollie taking on a leadership role in the class.
DESCRIPTION: The students sit cross-legged on their mats.
SENSEI LYNE: Would you mind, Ollie, guiding us for the breath break?
OLLIE: Sure. We're gonna take our hands, put palms together.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie puts his palms together, and the other students do the same.
SENSEI CODY: Ollie is not just a student with us; he is also a teacher. He's been teaching us how to teach better and how to communicate better with visually impaired. And that's key to us becoming better instructors. But he himself has been a teacher to other people around in the world.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short blond hair punches a focus pad. He wears eyeglasses and a black shirt.
SENSEI CODY: Hey, Oliver.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie and the blond-haired boy, Oliver, noogie each other.
OLLIE: Noogie, noogie!
SENSEI CODY: I wanna do one.
[Sensei Lyne laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Oliver stands in the waiting room. In the studio, Ollie and Oliver shake hands. Oliver sits on the floor beside Ollie on his own mat. Hope sits in front of Ollie, and he pets her sides.
OLIVER: My name is Oliver. I'm 12 years old. Ollie's one of my best friends. To me, he's much more than a friend. He's, it's like a mentor, he's a teacher. His story's very inspirational, and he's a great person to be around.
SENSEI CODY: All right, guys, so we had a really good class today. You guys can repeat after me. I am a powerful martial artist.
SENSEI LYNE AND CLASS: I am a powerful martial artist!
SENSEI LYNE: Whoo!
[Sensei Lyne laughs]
SENSEI CODY: Excellent.
NARRATOR: With Hope by his side, Ollie is thriving. Now he's ready to take on a new endeavour.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. A photograph shows Ollie sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, playing an acoustic guitar.
DAWN: When we were in treatment at Sick Kids Hospital, we had the opportunity to work with a music therapist.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: Music actually saved my life. Not kidding.
[He chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Ollie on a couch, holding a guitar. In a recording studio, he touches a microphone and rests his other hand on a music stand.
OLLIE: I've loved music even before I had cancer and went blind. I liked it a lot. And so, I've been learning guitar and hoping to go into like a music career.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. In the hospital, Ollie, Hope, and Dawn walk down a hallway. Ollie carries his guitar on his back.
DAWN: Ollie was very interested in learning what it means to be a music therapist. And so, he has this great opportunity to meet with Landon and find out, you know, all the things that he wants to know about this possible career choice down the road.
[Gentle guitar music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Landon plays his acoustic guitar. He has blue eyes, short brown hair, a beard and a moustache. Landon wears a blue shirt and a purple CHEO lanyard.
LANDON NARRATES: My name's Landon Coleman, I'm the music therapist at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. We're in one of the playrooms.
LANDON: Hi, Ollie.
DAWN: Hi. How you doing? Nice to meet you.
OLLIE: Hello.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Landon stands by the shelves of toys.
LANDON: I know that Ollie is thinking about music therapy as a career path, and so I'm excited to meet Ollie and to show him kind of what I do.
[Guitar music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Landon and Ollie play their guitars, and Hope lies on the floor by Ollie’s feet.
NARRATOR: Ollie and Landon sit down with their guitars while Hope rests at their feet. And after a quick warmup, they're ready to get the session started.
DESCRIPTION: Landon puts Ollie’s guitar to the side.
LANDON: Sounds good. Nice. Why don't we put your guitar down? Music therapy is when you are using music to achieve some sort of non-musical goal. So, you're helping a kid move around using music. And then also communication. A kid who's, you know, struggling with using their voice properly, this is important for them.
DESCRIPTION: Nearby, a xylophone, maracas, and bells lie on shelves. Landon picks up a bongo drum and gives it to Ollie. Ollie plays the drum, the maracas, and then the xylophone.
NARRATOR: The guitar isn't the only instrument Landon has at his disposal. During the session, Ollie and Landon play music on drums, maracas, a xylophone, and most importantly, sing with their voices.
[Bells jingle]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie shakes two balls, and Landon plays his guitar.
LANDON AND OLLIE SING: Whoo.
LANDON SINGS: It always sounds like me.
[Drum thumps]
DESCRIPTION: Landon stands by the toy shelves. On a couch, Ollie plays the bongo drum.
LANDON: One great thing about music is that it is super physical. So, when you hit a big drum, you can feel the vibrations. They don't have to understand language to understand that this feels good.
OLLIE: So, like, what kind of schooling do you need to have to be a music therapist?
LANDON: So, there are a few programs in Canada. The main thing is get good at guitar. You're already on your way. And then practice singing.
DESCRIPTION: Landon stands by the toy shelves. On the couch, Ollie plays an instrument with a single xylophone bar.
LANDON NARRATES: Ollie did great. He's got a musical knack. He's got some rhythm. He's got a good sense of melody. And I think he's on his way there.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie stands by the toy shelves and a window. Video footage shows him playing the maracas as Landon plays the guitar.
OLLIE: I feel pretty good after the session. It's really amazed me at how much you can do with just music therapy alone and how much it can help a kid.
[Guitar music plays, xylophone music chimes]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie plays the xylophone, and Landon plays the guitar.
LANDON SINGS: Over, over, three times over. Do what you gotta do and turn the glasses over.
[Ollie laughs, Landon speaks]
DESCRIPTION: Hope stands and walks to Ollie.
NARRATOR: It looks like Ollie's a natural. And with Hope by side, the future is looking bright.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: They are devoted to each other.
MARIO: Hope's got his back, for sure.
DESCRIPTION: In a flashback, Ollie, Sofia, and Hope walk on the sidewalk.
DAWN: Organizations like C.N.I.B. are really crucial. And for Ollie to have this program that teaches him how to trust an animal so much so that one day he'll be able to put his whole life in their care with a guide dog, like that's phenomenal.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie rests his head on Hope’s head.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility buildings in Breslau, Ontario. Inside, a black Labrador retriever lies in a children’s pool with nursing black and golden puppies.
NARRATOR: At the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides Training Facility, a new litter of puppies has arrived and are about to begin their journey to becoming service dogs.
DESCRIPTION: Emily has curly blonde hair, wears a black staff sweater, and eyeglasses.
EMILY: I'm Emily, and I'm a nursery care attendant here at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Wanna see some puppies? Follow me.
DESCRIPTION: Emily enters the room where the black Labrador retriever, Dahlia, lies with her puppies.
EMILY: Good morning, Dahlia. How are your puppies?
[Emily chuckles, puppies whine]
DESCRIPTION: Emily pets Dahlia.
EMILY: This is Dahlia, and she's a black Lab, and she has two yellow Lab golden cross puppies, and then five black Lab cross puppies. Out of the whole litter, she has six girls and only one boy. These guys are about two weeks old now. Because they're still so little, we like to keep a little bit more of a closed setup for them.
[Puppies squeak]
DESCRIPTION: Puppies with twitching paws sleep. A black puppy lies on their back against the side of the pool.
EMILY: So, we have a little kiddie pool here with like a fleece on the inside, and then there's a heat lamp that's hanging above the pool to keep them nice and toasty warm. They really just get to eat and sleep. And we actually have a little friend here right now that's laying flat out on his back because it's just such a good life being a puppy, you know?
NARRATOR: What kind of things can we do to help them get ready to be dog guides?
DESCRIPTION: Emily gently picks up a puppy.
EMILY: They kind of get exposed to different like handling techniques just to kind of desensitize them. And actually, when they're this age, we practice holding them on their backs as well. See, and then sometimes they do some wiggles.
[Emily laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A puppy wiggles in Emily’s hand. She gently places the puppy back beside Dahlia.
NARRATOR: These little puppies are off to a great start. Mom must be very proud.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren stands beside a child-sized table with toy food and pans on top.
LAUREN: Ta-da!
[Lauren blows, bubble pops, Lauren giggles, boy shouts]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves. She puts on the lip gloss, kisses towards the camera, and smiles. In her backyard, she blows bubbles through a bubble wand as the blue-eyed woman kneels beside her. Lauren drives a bright pink child’s Jeep. She kicks a ball, and a boy chases it.
NARRATOR: Meet Lauren, an active six-year-old who loves blowing bubbles, driving around in her pink toy Jeep, and playing with her siblings.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Lauren takes the camera.
OFF-CAMERA WOMAN ASKS: Do you wanna record yourself?
LAUREN: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Alley, the off-camera voice, waves. A teenager with long brown hair, she wears a lilac hooded sweater. Ty, a boy with short brown hair and blue eyes, wears blue eyeglasses and a blue shirt.
ALLY: I am Ally. This is my little sister, Lauren, and my younger brother, Ty.
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, Lauren wears a riding helmet and rides a brown horse with a white blaze. A woman with long blonde hair walks beside her with one hand on the saddle. A man wearing a ball cap, eyeglasses, a blue jacket and brown pants holds the horse’s lead and walks by their head.
NARRATOR: Lauren's favourite activity is riding a therapy horse named Gemini.
[Gemini whinnies]
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, the blue-eyed woman, Michelle and the man with the red beard, Brett, sit together.
MICHELLE: I'm Michelle, Lauren's mom.
BRETT: I'm Brett. I'm Lauren's dad.
[Text On A Road Sign Reads] Welcome to Rodney. A West Elgin Community.
MICHELLE: We live in Rodney, Ontario, Canada.
DESCRIPTION: In the autumn, yellow stalks fill the fields of a farm. The children play with a ball in their backyard. A play structure has a double slide, a twisting tube slide, a tunnel, a playhouse, and a swing set. Lauren jumps on the centre of a trampoline as Michelle watches.
NARRATOR: In this small country town, Lauren's family lives at the edge of a large cornfield. Their backyard has a play structure and a trampoline, which Lauren loves to bounce on.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren sits on the trampoline, and Michelle and Ty kneel on it.
LAUREN: Yay!
[Michelle claps]
MICHELLE: Yay. Good job.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows younger Lauren wearing pyjamas and dancing beside a sink. Video footage shows Lauren clapping and dancing in her kitchen.
MICHELLE NARARTES: She loves music. She loves dancing around.
BRETT: She's a little firecracker.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Lauren holds a brush.
LAUREN: Ta-da.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren pretends to dial a toy phone.
BRETT NARRATES: She is a princess.
[Lauren speaks]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren drives her pink toy Jeep. In the dining room, Brett sits for the interview.
BRETT NARRATES: Lauren is the boss of the house.
[Lauren sings, whoosh, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a hallway, Lauren wears pyjamas and dances. A photograph shows Lauren lying on a hospital bed with Michelle leaning towards her. A tablet leaning against a bed rail plays the Coco Melon cartoon.
NARRATOR: Lauren wasn't always this confident. As a child with Down syndrome, a condition that can affect muscle tone and coordination, she experienced some mobility challenges.
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren and Ally pop bubbles at the top of the double slide. In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In the backyard, Brett lifts Lauren off the trampoline.
MICHELLE: Lauren's confidence would not let her do things that she could have done. She would physically just not be able to transition from tile to wood flooring.
DESCRIPTION: A video shows Lauren stepping on a tile floor and then stepping backwards. She and Ally stand at the bottom of a tiled ramp.
ALLY: Come on.
LAUREN: No.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Lauren stands at the edge of a cement path and looks at the grass. Ally reaches for her hand, and Lauren shies away.
MICHELLE: Or from cement to grass. She would just stand and wait or scream or cry until somebody would help her.
[Lauren grunts]
DESCRIPTION: Ally lifts Lauren onto the ramp. Outside on the concrete path, Brett takes Lauren’s hand, and they walk onto the grass together. In the backyard, Lauren jumps on her trampoline.
MICHELLE: She just didn't trust her balance. Stairs were completely out of the question. Jumping was completely out of the question. It was a huge, scary thing for Lauren to accomplish.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the SARI horse ranch, surrounded by paddocks and yellow farm fields. A photograph shows Lauren riding Gemini, with her mom walking beside her, an arm on Lauren's leg. A smiling man wearing eyeglasses holds the lead, and a woman with short brown hair holds Lauren’s other leg and smiles up at her. Video footage shows a horse wearing a purple blanket grazing in a paddock near the barn.
NARRATOR: To help her build her confidence, Lauren was introduced to SARI Therapeutic Horse Riding, where she met Gemini. Today, she's arrived at SARI for a lesson. But before she starts, she's got some friends to say hello to.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren enters a SARI building, with Ally and Ty following her. Lauren walks up a short staircase to an office and pets a cat on a woman’s lap. The woman wears her long hair pulled away from her face.
[Cat meows]
LONG-HAIRED WOMAN: How are you? Who do I have? Who's that?
ALLY: Lauren, are you saying hi to the cats?
[Lauren speaks softly]
DESCRIPTION: In the office, the cat jumps onto the floor. In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together.
MICHELLE: Lauren walks in, and she runs the show. Everybody is saying hi. She's yelling at everybody, saying hi.
[Lauren speaks in the background, upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren wears a helmet and sits in front of a computer with a locked screen. She holds a telephone headset and chats into it.
NARRATOR: Uh-oh, Lauren has found her way into SARI's head office, and it looks like she's ready to take over as the new boss, sitting at the front desk and answering the phones.
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren’s sister Ally stands behind the office chair. The woman with long dark brown hair, Instructor Ally, arrives. She has her long hair in a ponytail and wears a black SARI jacket.
MICHELLE: She'll go up into the office, and then that's where she'll see her instructor, Ally, then she knows it's game time. It's time to get ready, and let's go.
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren walks down the staircase.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, are you ready to go ride Gemini? Come on, let's go ride Gem.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren walks to Ty and her sister, Ally. In an interview, instructor Ally stands in a barn between the rows of stalls. Video footage shows Lauren riding a cream horse, with Michelle and another adult walking on each side with a hand on Lauren’s leg. A woman with short white hair leads the horse in an indoor riding arena.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: My name is Ally, and I'm the head instructor here at SARI. I first met Lauren about a year ago. When I first met her, she was very shy, very nervous, and she has come quite a long way from that.
DESCRIPTION: In the riding arena, instructor Ally watches the man wearing the ball cap lead Gemini.
NARRATOR: Wow, Gemini must be a really special pony to make such a huge impact.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally lifts Lauren onto Gemini’s back.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Are you ready? Okay. And up we go.
DESCRIPTION: A woman with long, straight brown hair stands on the other side of the horse.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Good job, Lauren.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Look at you up there.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: I know. Tell Gemini walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Lauren looks comfortable and confident riding on top of Gemini.
DESCRIPTION: Michelle and Brett watch in a viewing area and give Lauren a thumbs-up.
MICHELLE: Go fast.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves at her parents.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good waving.
DESCRIPTION: In another area of the arena, Ty and Ally sit on an upcycled church pew and wave to Lauren.
NARRATOR: Her whole family has come to watch and cheer her on.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves with both hands.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Hi!
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. At SARI, a dappled grey horse stands in a paddock, wearing a blue blanket. The man wearing the ball cap leads Gemini outside.
MICHELLE: SARI's been absolutely fantastic. It's not just getting on a horse and riding. They're doing range of motion, fine motor skills, putting puzzles together.
NARRATOR: Lauren rides Gemini outside to try a sensory trail, one of SARI's many exercises.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls. Outside, Lauren looks around from Gemini’s back. Paddock fence posts have textured round blocks at the top.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: The sensory trail kind of takes them out of their comfort zone. They get to experience kind of a trail ride. We have lots of toys out there, including our texture blocks.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: On the trail, instructor Ally walks behind Gemini and Lauren. The man wearing the ball cap leads the horse, and a woman walks on each side of Lauren, each with a hand on her leg.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So we are on the sensory trail, and we are gonna go over to our texture boards and see if she will touch any of the textures that we have.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: She is able to experience all the different textures, different feelings of the horse. She's able to experience a new environment on her horse. So, we get to see what she likes, dislikes, and how we can incorporate them in our lessons in the future.
DESCRIPTION: On the trail, Gemini stops beside a ridged pink texture block.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, can you touch the purple one? Our first colour is purple, and it has a bit of a stripy texture. Ready, Lauren?
LAUREN: No, no, no.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally touches the block and spins it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Can you touch it? Look…
[She gasps]
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: It spins!
DESCRIPTION: Lauren looks away and holds up a hand.
LAUREN: No!
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: No.
[She chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: Gemini walks to the next texture block, a circle with small, raised circles on top.
NARRATOR: Uh-oh, it doesn't seem like Lauren likes the purple texture block. Maybe with a little confidence boost from Gemini, she'll be brave enough to reach out and touch the next one.
[Blonde-haired woman exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren reaches down and touches the block, and it spins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Oh! Whoa, it spins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren points to the next textured block.
LAUREN: Walk on!
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: We got one more.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: Say, walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Lauren's definitely looking more confident now.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren stops beside a bumpy texture block and touches it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: What's this one, Lauren?
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: What's that?
[Block scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren spins the block.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Whoa.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: There you go.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Whoo!
DESCRIPTION: The man with the ball cap turns Gemini and leads them back towards the building.
NARRATOR: She's done it. Lauren and Gemini make a great team.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Are you ready to go inside?
LAUREN: Okay.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini and Lauren enter the indoor arena.
NARRATOR: With the sensory trail complete, Lauren and Gemini ride back into the arena to work on her horse-riding skills.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So, with Lauren today, we will be beginning the lesson by a nice obstacle course.
DESCRIPTION: In the indoor arena, Lauren holds Gemini’s reins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good steering.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: She has the opportunity to do her steering, all the things she's working on while also playing some fun games.
[Toys rattle]
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally holds a green milk crate with small squeaker toys: dogs, bears, monkeys, and octopuses.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay, what are we gonna find in here?
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Today specifically, we will be finding toys for Lauren to match, and she'll carry them to another basket where she will throw them in.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren takes a blue dog out of the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: What colour are we gonna get? Can you find two matching ones?
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally gives Lauren a pink octopus toy.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: The pink octopus. Okay, where's the matching one? Can you get the other one?
[She gasps]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren takes the matching pink octopus toy out of the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Okay, say walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini walks forward.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Say whoa, Gemini.
LAUREN: Whoa, Gem.
DESCRIPTION: A person holds a grey milk crate, with Lauren's octopus toy resting on top.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Big stretch into the basket.
[Toys rattle]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren drops both octopus toys into the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Nice job. Good job.
DESCRIPTION: At home, Lauren’s sister Ally sits beside Ty with Lauren in her lap.
ALLY: Some of the things Lauren's working on at SARI with Gemini is hugging Gemini going over the poles.
[Tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, Lauren rides Gemini towards the poles on the ground.
NARRATOR: That sounds like a physically demanding and challenging move. It's called a two-point. Can Lauren and Gemini pull it off?
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Hey, Lauren, are you ready to give Gemini a hug? Ready, and two-point.
[Inspiring music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren leans forward and holds Gemini’s neck as the horse steps over the poles.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Big stretch. Good job. Say, walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Wow. She's really doing it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Good! Yay. Good job, Lauren.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren was able to get up in her stirrups and drop her reins, lean forward on Gemini, and do it all on her own, which she's never done before.
NARRATOR: Lauren's bravery atop her trusty pony, Gemini, is truly a sight to behold. Her parents proudly watch on.
[Michelle laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the viewing area, Michelle and Brett both give Lauren a thumbs-up.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, do you wanna trot?
LAUREN: Okay.
OFF-CAMERA VOICE: Grab your reins.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren holds the reins as Gemini walks away from the viewing area.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: There you go.
LAUREN: Walk on.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: We say walk on. Just a nice, slow trot with Gemini. You can do it. Say trot!
LAUREN: Trot.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini trots towards Instructor Ally as Lauren holds the reins. Everyone on the ground runs beside the horse.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: You got it. Good job, look at you go! Whoo! And walk, good job. That was awesome. High fives for everybody.
[Person exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren high-fives everyone.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Okay.
DESCRIPTION: In the viewing area, Michelle and Brett stand together.
MICHELLE: She got in a saddle. She started trotting. And now to see her independently doing a two-point, she has no fear, and she's so comfortable up there. It's awesome to see.
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally helps Lauren dismount. She picks Lauren up, and Lauren pets Gemini.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay, let's go say thank you to Gemini. Say thank you.
LAUREN: Thank you.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So, Lauren's confidence since I have been working with her in the last year has improved tremendously. She is a different little girl.
NARRATOR: With another successful lesson complete, Lauren rewards her trusty steed with a delicious snack.
[Lauren laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally holds Lauren in front of Gemini as Lauren feeds Gemini a bowl of carrots. She crouches behind Lauren on the ground as Gemini chews.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Is she getting all the carrots? Look, she is crunching on a carrot that Lauren brought her from home.
NARRATOR: Gemini has earned her treat.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally picks up Lauren and pets Gemini. Lauren waves at the horse.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: See Gemini?
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In a flashback, instructor Ally helps Lauren dismount and puts her on the sand.
BRETT: When we first started at SARI, Lauren didn't like the sand part, getting off the horse.
MICHELLE: She's fearful, so she just would dig her heels in and stay planted. We would still have to pick her up and carry her.
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally holds Lauren’s arms as they walk to the edge of the arena. Outside, Lauren walks from the grass to the concrete path.
BRETT: But as Lauren's started to ride Gemini more and get used to the sand texture in the barn, when Lauren would get home, there was no fear of the change in texture anymore. She would go from wood floor to tile floor. Outside, she would go from concrete to grass. She's learned that she can do this on her own.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows younger Lauren pulling on a door handle.
MICHELLE: It's given her the confidence. She is not afraid to open the door, and she's not gonna think twice about going down the three stairs.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Lauren holds the railing and walks down concrete steps, with Ally walking beside her. Lauren pushes Brett on a swing.
NARRATOR: Lauren sure has come a long way. She's even strong enough to push dad on the swing set. So, what's her next big challenge?
[Children shout]
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In the backyard, Lauren and Brett swing side by side. Ally watches Lauren climb onto the trampoline. On the play structure, Ty slides down a slide, and Lauren watches him through a window at the top.
BRETT: Next steps for Lauren, she's taken a shining to our play set outside. She enjoys the swings. She's starting to climb up the climber. And hopefully she'll be going down the slide shortly with no assistance.
ALLEY: Come on, Lauren. Let's go slide.
LAUREN: No!
DESCRIPTION: Lauren covers her eyes. Lauren sits at the top of the slide, and Brett holds her hand. Ally sits on the platform behind her.
ALLEY: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren slides down the slide, holding Brett’s hand, and lands on the grass.
[Applause]
MICHELLE: Whee! Good job!
DESCRIPTION: Ally slides down the slide and high-fives Lauren.
ALLY: You did it! You went down the slide!
LAUREN: I did it!
ALLY: High five!
DESCRIPTION: Ally and Lauren high-five again.
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together.
BRETT: Lauren went down the slide, which was a huge achievement.
[Ally claps]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren jumps in front of Ally. In the indoor arena, instructor Ally pets Gemini. On the sensory trail, Lauren smiles as she rides Gemini.
MICHELLE: Gemini's just been an amazing horse for Lauren. They've just completely blown me away with what they've been doing. She's a whole new kid.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Ollie and Hope, Lauren and Gemini. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a martial arts studio, a bearded sensei wears a black karate Gi.
BEARDED SENSEI: Guard stance, go! Hi-ya!
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Ollie, a boy with short brown hair, punches a punching bag. In a backyard covered in deep snow, Ollie throws a snowball and Hope, a black Labrador retriever, leaps and catches it.
NARRATOR: 12-year-old Ollie's pulling no punches with buddy dog Hope by his side.
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, Ollie leans over Hope and pets her as she curls up on the couch beside him.
OLLIE: She's completely changed my life.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A person picks up a tiny golden puppy whose eyes are squeezed shut. They pick up a black puppy whose eyes are closed as well.
NARRATOR: It's time to tumble, cuddle, and play for a brand-new litter of future dog guide puppies.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Lauren, a brown-haired girl who has Down syndrome, waves. She wears pink eyeglasses, a black jacket, and peach pants. Lauren puts on lip gloss. In an indoor riding arena, a woman with long, dark brown hair in a ponytail holds Lauren, who is petting a brown horse with a white blaze. An adult stands on each side of the horse, and another person stands behind them.
NARRATOR: Six-year-old Lauren rides a sensory trail ride with therapy horse Gemini.
[Lauren laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes sits beside a man with a shaved head and a red beard and moustache. Outside, Lauren rides the brown horse, Gemini.
BLUE-EYED WOMAN: They've completely blown me away with what they've been doing.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie opens the red front door of his house. In the foyer, he picks up a skateboard.
OLLIE: Hi, I'm Ollie. Welcome to my home. This is my special skateboard. It's one of my most greatest treasures.
DESCRIPTION: In his living room, Ollie sits on a grey couch. In the foyer, Ollie pets Hope.
OLLIE: My name is Ollie. I am 12 years old. This is my dog, Hope. She's a very good girl. Say hi, Hope.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie leans his head against Hope. In the foyer, he attaches Hope’s leash to her collar. She wears a yellow service vest. Outside, Ollie holds Hope’s leash in one hand and uses his roller-tip cane with the other.
NARRATOR: Hope isn't your average dog. She's a C.N.I.B. buddy dog. That means she's a specially trained pup offering Ollie companionship and confidence as he goes about his daily adventures as a kid who happens to be blind.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the house, a grey-and-white cat walks to where Hope sits and rubs against her. Outside, Ollie lies in the deep snow, and Hope jumps around him. In his backyard, Ollie throws the snowball and Hope leaps.
OLLIE: Hope is very sensitive to people's feelings. She's very playful and excitable.
NARRATOR: When she's off duty, of course, which is perfect, because she needs to keep up with Ollie's very active lifestyle.
[A person cheers]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Ollie, in goal, covering a puck on the ice. Video footage shows Ollie riding his skateboard on a half-pipe. A man wearing a helmet holds his hands and runs back and forth with him. On a hill, Ollie rides his snowboard.
OLLIE: I like to do a lot of different sports. Hockey, skateboarding, snowboarding, karate.
[Sensei and students grunt]
DESCRIPTION: In karate class, Ollie punches forward. In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. Mario has short grey hair, a beard, and a moustache. He wears eyeglasses, a red ball cap with a maple leaf on the front and a grey jacket. Dawn has bobbed grey hair and wears eyeglasses, a grey sweater, and a blue blouse.
MARIO: I'm Ollie's dad. My name is Mario.
DAWN: And I'm Dawn, and I am Ollie's mom. We are in our family home in Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada.
DESCRIPTION: The family poses on their porch steps, smiling. In the Byward Market, in Ottawa, large white letters spell “Ottawa.” At home, Ollie sits on the couch. A photograph shows Ollie without hair, using a wheelchair. He gives a thumbs up as Dawn poses beside him. Both wear masks over their mouths and noses. A second photo shows Ollie sitting on a hospital bed, hugging a stuffed lamb.
[Light music plays]
OLLIE: My blindness was a rare occurrence. I went blind because of cancer. I didn't really know what it was like to be blind.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Ollie poses, without hair and wearing a face mask, beside people in red-and-white striped suits. One wears a red clown nose.
NARRATOR: But Ollie proved to be unstoppable.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Ollie lies on a hospital bed wearing a Superman shirt and striped pants. He has an I.V. tube in his arm and wears a mask. In another photograph, younger Ollie, without hair, wears a hooded sweater with the text “Cancer slaying warrior.”
DAWN: He's really a wonder. Even before he lost his vision, before he had cancer and had to go through so much, he was always a super interesting little kid.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the house, Hope lies on the floor.
NARRATOR: Hope's friendly nature has helped Ollie to be more social again.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: The more things we do with her, the more people we meet.
DESCRIPTION: In the foyer, Ollie fastens Hope’s vest.
OLLIE: Sofia.
SOFIA: Yes?
OLLIE: Come pass me the leash.
DESCRIPTION: Sofia has shoulder-length curly brown hair. She wears eyeglasses and a pink shirt. In the foyer, Ollie attaches Hope’s leash to her collar. He and Sofia leave with Hope.
SOFIA: I'm Sofia, and I'm a friend of Ollie's. I love Hope. She's very energetic, but she's also very well-behaved. When Ollie and I hang out, we like to like take Hope for walks.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the C.N.I.B. Canine Campus near the town of Carleton Place, surrounded by fields. A black and yellow sign by the road reads, “C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs.” Text on the side of an S.U.V. reads, “C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. Life-changers on board! CNIBGuideDogs.ca.”
NARRATOR: Hope was trained at the C.N.I.B., which stands for Canadian National Institute for the Blind. It's here at the C.N.I.B. Canine Campus just outside Ottawa, Ontario, that she got her buddy dog certification.
DESCRIPTION: In the building, Miriam stands in a large open room. She has long grey hair and wears eyeglasses, a black shirt, and black pants. The room features a patio set, a bus shelter, a traffic light and a crossing button. Near the edge of a sidewalk is a yellow, bumpy metal strip, similar to the one found on a subway platform.
MIRIAM: My name is Miriam Mas. I'm the program lead for the Buddy Dog and Ambassador Dog Training at C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. We're right now at the Canine Campus of C.N.I.B. Guide Dogs. This room is designed to help train the dogs in a safe environment with sidewalks and stairs.
DESCRIPTION: On a windowsill, two stuffed dogs wear yellow service vests.
NARRATOR: Wow, this mock city is an incredible training ground for Hope and dogs like her. But what's the difference between a guide dog and a buddy dog?
DESCRIPTION: A painting on the wall features a black Labrador retriever puppy. Ollie pets Hope. Outside, Ollie and Hope cross a snowy street.
MIRIAM: Buddy dogs are dogs that had had a lot of training, a lot of socialization, but for different reasons, didn't quite make it to become a guide dog. And they then are paired with children or youth. They become a great companion for the children. They're not looked at as a service dog. They don't share the same public access rights. But they do provide a great deal of support. In Hope's case, particularly, she didn't make it as a guide dog because she has body sensitivity.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: She would've made a great guide dog. She passed all of her tests with flying colours. But when we would put the harness on her, it was so evident that she was not super happy about it. And we want our guide dogs to be happy in service.
DESCRIPTION: On the sidewalk, Ollie and Sofia smile as they walk with Hope.
MIRIAM NARRATES: It became obvious that the role of a guide dog was not for her, but the buddy dog role being a lot more relaxed was really, really good for her.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Hope, as a puppy, is running in a yellow vest.
NARRATOR: Luckily for Ollie, Hope becoming a buddy dog meant they could be matched, leading to the first day they met.
[Person chatters]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Hope plays with a toy in the snow. In his living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: First time I met Hope, the program ambassador, Miriam, brought her to our house.
MIRIAM: When I bring a buddy dog into the family, I let the dog go free into the home.
[Bell jingles, footsteps patter]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction, Hope runs into the living room and to Ollie, who sits on the couch.
MIRIAM: Go say hi.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
MARIO: It was awesome, Hope came in and she beelines it for Ollie.
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope jumps up and licks Ollie’s face.
OLLIE: Oh!
MARIO: Almost like she, and dogs…
DAWN: She knew, she knew…
MARIO: Right, obviously, did right.
DAWN: He was her kid.
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope crosses the living room to Dawn and a girl with long brown hair.
DAWN: Good girl. Yeah.
BROWN-HAIRED GIRL: How are you? It's nice to see you.
DESCRIPTION: In the training room, Miriam smiles.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Hope licks Ollie in the living room.
MIRIAM: Hope went straight to Ollie, gave him kisses, and that was beautiful to see. There was already a connection that was beyond my expectations.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: I honestly believe it was meant to be.
MARIO: And you say you're not corny.
DAWN: I am.
[Child laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the introduction video, Dawn and the brown-haired girl pet Hope.
MARIAM: Yeah.
DAWN: How are you? It's so nice to see you.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: Immediately at that point, she and I both knew that we'd be matched. She's completely changed my entire life.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Hope lies on her back, and Ollie pets her.
NARRATOR: Hope's impact on Ollie was obvious, even on the first night.
DESCRIPTION: Hope lies on a mattress on the floor. A photograph shows Ollie sleeping with his arm around Hope.
DAWN: From the very outset, her being there like totally helped to calm him. He had not slept a single night by himself almost 20 months. He would wake in the night with a nightmare or you know, fearful or what have you, 'cause he'd been through a lot. And we woke up the next morning, it was the first night he slept through the night in almost two years.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the couch, Ollie smiles and rests his head against Hope. In the evening, Hope, Ollie, and Dawn leave the house and walk on a downtown sidewalk. Ollie wears his karate Gi.
NARRATOR: And a good night's sleep was just the beginning. Now, Hope accompanies Ollie wherever she can. And tonight, they're on their way to downtown Ottawa for a C.N.I.B. karate class.
DESCRIPTION: In the class, Ollie and the other students sit on mats on the floor. Hope lies on her own mat between Ollie and another boy.
BEARDED SENSEI: We're gonna do a quick little stretch.
CLASS: Yes, sensei.
NARRATOR: Hope even gets her own mat.
OLLIE: A lot of the kids like seeing her. She loves to see the senseis.
DESCRIPTION: The students pet Hope. She walks to the seated sensei and sits. He gets up and walks her back to her mat.
BEARDED SENSEI: Hope, that's your mat. That's your mat.
OLLIE: Hope, down.
DESCRIPTION: The bearded sensei, Sensei Cody, has short brown hair.
SENSEI CODY: My name is Sensei Cody.
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Lyne wears a bandana over her long brown hair. She wears a black Gi.
SENSEI LYNE: I'm Sensei Lyne.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch. In the class, the students jump on their mats. Ollie wears a green-and-orange belt.
OLLIE: Sensei Cody and Sensei Lyne were two of my first senseis after I had cancer. I've been doing it for a few years. I'm one of the highest belts in my class now.
DESCRIPTION: The class high-fives. Sensei Lyne high-fives Ollie.
SENSEI LYNE: High five. Now, oh, ouch!
SENSEI CODY: Everyone into our guard stance. Guard stance, go! Hi-ya! From your chin, we're gonna punch out and then pull it right back in. Ready, kiai, go. Hi-ya!
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Cody and the students punch the air.
NARRATOR: Wow. Ollie really has a solid jab.
SENSEI CODY: Just like that. Okay, are you guys ready to hit some stuff?
CLASS: Yes!
SENSEI CODY: I knew it. We're gonna use the pads.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Sensei Cody holds two purple focus pads, and Ollie practices his jabs.
NARRATOR: Hope is a welcome presence in the karate class, and many of Ollie's fellow students and friends can attest to that.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Kayden, a teenager wearing a black bucket hat, eyeglasses, and a purple shirt, stands with parents and students sitting behind him.
KAYDEN: My name's Kayden. I'm 14 years old. It's honestly super exciting to see Hope walk through the doors.
DESCRIPTION: In class, Hope lies on her mat. She sits beside Sensei Cody, and he smiles, his hand resting on her side.
SENSEI CODY: Hope is the kind of student that we work with all the time. A great listener, very friendly. Having hope by his side was definitely a good addition to the class and to his progress. The biggest changes that I've seen has been his confidence.
DESCRIPTION: Cody punches the focus pads and smiles.
NARRATOR: This newfound confidence has led to Ollie taking on a leadership role in the class.
DESCRIPTION: The students sit cross-legged on their mats.
SENSEI LYNE: Would you mind, Ollie, guiding us for the breath break?
OLLIE: Sure. We're gonna take our hands, put palms together.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie puts his palms together, and the other students do the same.
SENSEI CODY: Ollie is not just a student with us; he is also a teacher. He's been teaching us how to teach better and how to communicate better with visually impaired. And that's key to us becoming better instructors. But he himself has been a teacher to other people around in the world.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short blond hair punches a focus pad. He wears eyeglasses and a black shirt.
SENSEI CODY: Hey, Oliver.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie and the blond-haired boy, Oliver, noogie each other.
OLLIE: Noogie, noogie!
SENSEI CODY: I wanna do one.
[Sensei Lyne laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Oliver stands in the waiting room. In the studio, Ollie and Oliver shake hands. Oliver sits on the floor beside Ollie on his own mat. Hope sits in front of Ollie, and he pets her sides.
OLIVER: My name is Oliver. I'm 12 years old. Ollie's one of my best friends. To me, he's much more than a friend. He's, it's like a mentor, he's a teacher. His story's very inspirational, and he's a great person to be around.
SENSEI CODY: All right, guys, so we had a really good class today. You guys can repeat after me. I am a powerful martial artist.
SENSEI LYNE AND CLASS: I am a powerful martial artist!
SENSEI LYNE: Whoo!
[Sensei Lyne laughs]
SENSEI CODY: Excellent.
NARRATOR: With Hope by his side, Ollie is thriving. Now he's ready to take on a new endeavour.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. A photograph shows Ollie sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, playing an acoustic guitar.
DAWN: When we were in treatment at Sick Kids Hospital, we had the opportunity to work with a music therapist.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie sits on the couch.
OLLIE: Music actually saved my life. Not kidding.
[He chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Ollie on a couch, holding a guitar. In a recording studio, he touches a microphone and rests his other hand on a music stand.
OLLIE: I've loved music even before I had cancer and went blind. I liked it a lot. And so, I've been learning guitar and hoping to go into like a music career.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together. In the hospital, Ollie, Hope, and Dawn walk down a hallway. Ollie carries his guitar on his back.
DAWN: Ollie was very interested in learning what it means to be a music therapist. And so, he has this great opportunity to meet with Landon and find out, you know, all the things that he wants to know about this possible career choice down the road.
[Gentle guitar music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Landon plays his acoustic guitar. He has blue eyes, short brown hair, a beard and a moustache. Landon wears a blue shirt and a purple CHEO lanyard.
LANDON NARRATES: My name's Landon Coleman, I'm the music therapist at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. We're in one of the playrooms.
LANDON: Hi, Ollie.
DAWN: Hi. How you doing? Nice to meet you.
OLLIE: Hello.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Landon stands by the shelves of toys.
LANDON: I know that Ollie is thinking about music therapy as a career path, and so I'm excited to meet Ollie and to show him kind of what I do.
[Guitar music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Landon and Ollie play their guitars, and Hope lies on the floor by Ollie’s feet.
NARRATOR: Ollie and Landon sit down with their guitars while Hope rests at their feet. And after a quick warmup, they're ready to get the session started.
DESCRIPTION: Landon puts Ollie’s guitar to the side.
LANDON: Sounds good. Nice. Why don't we put your guitar down? Music therapy is when you are using music to achieve some sort of non-musical goal. So, you're helping a kid move around using music. And then also communication. A kid who's, you know, struggling with using their voice properly, this is important for them.
DESCRIPTION: Nearby, a xylophone, maracas, and bells lie on shelves. Landon picks up a bongo drum and gives it to Ollie. Ollie plays the drum, the maracas, and then the xylophone.
NARRATOR: The guitar isn't the only instrument Landon has at his disposal. During the session, Ollie and Landon play music on drums, maracas, a xylophone, and most importantly, sing with their voices.
[Bells jingle]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie shakes two balls, and Landon plays his guitar.
LANDON AND OLLIE SING: Whoo.
LANDON SINGS: It always sounds like me.
[Drum thumps]
DESCRIPTION: Landon stands by the toy shelves. On a couch, Ollie plays the bongo drum.
LANDON: One great thing about music is that it is super physical. So, when you hit a big drum, you can feel the vibrations. They don't have to understand language to understand that this feels good.
OLLIE: So, like, what kind of schooling do you need to have to be a music therapist?
LANDON: So, there are a few programs in Canada. The main thing is get good at guitar. You're already on your way. And then practice singing.
DESCRIPTION: Landon stands by the toy shelves. On the couch, Ollie plays an instrument with a single xylophone bar.
LANDON NARRATES: Ollie did great. He's got a musical knack. He's got some rhythm. He's got a good sense of melody. And I think he's on his way there.
DESCRIPTION: Ollie stands by the toy shelves and a window. Video footage shows him playing the maracas as Landon plays the guitar.
OLLIE: I feel pretty good after the session. It's really amazed me at how much you can do with just music therapy alone and how much it can help a kid.
[Guitar music plays, xylophone music chimes]
DESCRIPTION: Ollie plays the xylophone, and Landon plays the guitar.
LANDON SINGS: Over, over, three times over. Do what you gotta do and turn the glasses over.
[Ollie laughs, Landon speaks]
DESCRIPTION: Hope stands and walks to Ollie.
NARRATOR: It looks like Ollie's a natural. And with Hope by side, the future is looking bright.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Mario and Dawn sit together.
DAWN: They are devoted to each other.
MARIO: Hope's got his back, for sure.
DESCRIPTION: In a flashback, Ollie, Sofia, and Hope walk on the sidewalk.
DAWN: Organizations like C.N.I.B. are really crucial. And for Ollie to have this program that teaches him how to trust an animal so much so that one day he'll be able to put his whole life in their care with a guide dog, like that's phenomenal.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Ollie rests his head on Hope’s head.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility buildings in Breslau, Ontario. Inside, a black Labrador retriever lies in a children’s pool with nursing black and golden puppies.
NARRATOR: At the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides Training Facility, a new litter of puppies has arrived and are about to begin their journey to becoming service dogs.
DESCRIPTION: Emily has curly blonde hair, wears a black staff sweater, and eyeglasses.
EMILY: I'm Emily, and I'm a nursery care attendant here at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Wanna see some puppies? Follow me.
DESCRIPTION: Emily enters the room where the black Labrador retriever, Dahlia, lies with her puppies.
EMILY: Good morning, Dahlia. How are your puppies?
[Emily chuckles, puppies whine]
DESCRIPTION: Emily pets Dahlia.
EMILY: This is Dahlia, and she's a black Lab, and she has two yellow Lab golden cross puppies, and then five black Lab cross puppies. Out of the whole litter, she has six girls and only one boy. These guys are about two weeks old now. Because they're still so little, we like to keep a little bit more of a closed setup for them.
[Puppies squeak]
DESCRIPTION: Puppies with twitching paws sleep. A black puppy lies on their back against the side of the pool.
EMILY: So, we have a little kiddie pool here with like a fleece on the inside, and then there's a heat lamp that's hanging above the pool to keep them nice and toasty warm. They really just get to eat and sleep. And we actually have a little friend here right now that's laying flat out on his back because it's just such a good life being a puppy, you know?
NARRATOR: What kind of things can we do to help them get ready to be dog guides?
DESCRIPTION: Emily gently picks up a puppy.
EMILY: They kind of get exposed to different like handling techniques just to kind of desensitize them. And actually, when they're this age, we practice holding them on their backs as well. See, and then sometimes they do some wiggles.
[Emily laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A puppy wiggles in Emily’s hand. She gently places the puppy back beside Dahlia.
NARRATOR: These little puppies are off to a great start. Mom must be very proud.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren stands beside a child-sized table with toy food and pans on top.
LAUREN: Ta-da!
[Lauren blows, bubble pops, Lauren giggles, boy shouts]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves. She puts on the lip gloss, kisses towards the camera, and smiles. In her backyard, she blows bubbles through a bubble wand as the blue-eyed woman kneels beside her. Lauren drives a bright pink child’s Jeep. She kicks a ball, and a boy chases it.
NARRATOR: Meet Lauren, an active six-year-old who loves blowing bubbles, driving around in her pink toy Jeep, and playing with her siblings.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Lauren takes the camera.
OFF-CAMERA WOMAN ASKS: Do you wanna record yourself?
LAUREN: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Alley, the off-camera voice, waves. A teenager with long brown hair, she wears a lilac hooded sweater. Ty, a boy with short brown hair and blue eyes, wears blue eyeglasses and a blue shirt.
ALLY: I am Ally. This is my little sister, Lauren, and my younger brother, Ty.
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, Lauren wears a riding helmet and rides a brown horse with a white blaze. A woman with long blonde hair walks beside her with one hand on the saddle. A man wearing a ball cap, eyeglasses, a blue jacket and brown pants holds the horse’s lead and walks by their head.
NARRATOR: Lauren's favourite activity is riding a therapy horse named Gemini.
[Gemini whinnies]
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, the blue-eyed woman, Michelle and the man with the red beard, Brett, sit together.
MICHELLE: I'm Michelle, Lauren's mom.
BRETT: I'm Brett. I'm Lauren's dad.
[Text On A Road Sign Reads] Welcome to Rodney. A West Elgin Community.
MICHELLE: We live in Rodney, Ontario, Canada.
DESCRIPTION: In the autumn, yellow stalks fill the fields of a farm. The children play with a ball in their backyard. A play structure has a double slide, a twisting tube slide, a tunnel, a playhouse, and a swing set. Lauren jumps on the centre of a trampoline as Michelle watches.
NARRATOR: In this small country town, Lauren's family lives at the edge of a large cornfield. Their backyard has a play structure and a trampoline, which Lauren loves to bounce on.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren sits on the trampoline, and Michelle and Ty kneel on it.
LAUREN: Yay!
[Michelle claps]
MICHELLE: Yay. Good job.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows younger Lauren wearing pyjamas and dancing beside a sink. Video footage shows Lauren clapping and dancing in her kitchen.
MICHELLE NARARTES: She loves music. She loves dancing around.
BRETT: She's a little firecracker.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Lauren holds a brush.
LAUREN: Ta-da.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren pretends to dial a toy phone.
BRETT NARRATES: She is a princess.
[Lauren speaks]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren drives her pink toy Jeep. In the dining room, Brett sits for the interview.
BRETT NARRATES: Lauren is the boss of the house.
[Lauren sings, whoosh, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a hallway, Lauren wears pyjamas and dances. A photograph shows Lauren lying on a hospital bed with Michelle leaning towards her. A tablet leaning against a bed rail plays the Coco Melon cartoon.
NARRATOR: Lauren wasn't always this confident. As a child with Down syndrome, a condition that can affect muscle tone and coordination, she experienced some mobility challenges.
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren and Ally pop bubbles at the top of the double slide. In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In the backyard, Brett lifts Lauren off the trampoline.
MICHELLE: Lauren's confidence would not let her do things that she could have done. She would physically just not be able to transition from tile to wood flooring.
DESCRIPTION: A video shows Lauren stepping on a tile floor and then stepping backwards. She and Ally stand at the bottom of a tiled ramp.
ALLY: Come on.
LAUREN: No.
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Lauren stands at the edge of a cement path and looks at the grass. Ally reaches for her hand, and Lauren shies away.
MICHELLE: Or from cement to grass. She would just stand and wait or scream or cry until somebody would help her.
[Lauren grunts]
DESCRIPTION: Ally lifts Lauren onto the ramp. Outside on the concrete path, Brett takes Lauren’s hand, and they walk onto the grass together. In the backyard, Lauren jumps on her trampoline.
MICHELLE: She just didn't trust her balance. Stairs were completely out of the question. Jumping was completely out of the question. It was a huge, scary thing for Lauren to accomplish.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aerial video footage shows the SARI horse ranch, surrounded by paddocks and yellow farm fields. A photograph shows Lauren riding Gemini, with her mom walking beside her, an arm on Lauren's leg. A smiling man wearing eyeglasses holds the lead, and a woman with short brown hair holds Lauren’s other leg and smiles up at her. Video footage shows a horse wearing a purple blanket grazing in a paddock near the barn.
NARRATOR: To help her build her confidence, Lauren was introduced to SARI Therapeutic Horse Riding, where she met Gemini. Today, she's arrived at SARI for a lesson. But before she starts, she's got some friends to say hello to.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren enters a SARI building, with Ally and Ty following her. Lauren walks up a short staircase to an office and pets a cat on a woman’s lap. The woman wears her long hair pulled away from her face.
[Cat meows]
LONG-HAIRED WOMAN: How are you? Who do I have? Who's that?
ALLY: Lauren, are you saying hi to the cats?
[Lauren speaks softly]
DESCRIPTION: In the office, the cat jumps onto the floor. In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together.
MICHELLE: Lauren walks in, and she runs the show. Everybody is saying hi. She's yelling at everybody, saying hi.
[Lauren speaks in the background, upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren wears a helmet and sits in front of a computer with a locked screen. She holds a telephone headset and chats into it.
NARRATOR: Uh-oh, Lauren has found her way into SARI's head office, and it looks like she's ready to take over as the new boss, sitting at the front desk and answering the phones.
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren’s sister Ally stands behind the office chair. The woman with long dark brown hair, Instructor Ally, arrives. She has her long hair in a ponytail and wears a black SARI jacket.
MICHELLE: She'll go up into the office, and then that's where she'll see her instructor, Ally, then she knows it's game time. It's time to get ready, and let's go.
DESCRIPTION: In the office, Lauren walks down the staircase.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, are you ready to go ride Gemini? Come on, let's go ride Gem.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren walks to Ty and her sister, Ally. In an interview, instructor Ally stands in a barn between the rows of stalls. Video footage shows Lauren riding a cream horse, with Michelle and another adult walking on each side with a hand on Lauren’s leg. A woman with short white hair leads the horse in an indoor riding arena.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: My name is Ally, and I'm the head instructor here at SARI. I first met Lauren about a year ago. When I first met her, she was very shy, very nervous, and she has come quite a long way from that.
DESCRIPTION: In the riding arena, instructor Ally watches the man wearing the ball cap lead Gemini.
NARRATOR: Wow, Gemini must be a really special pony to make such a huge impact.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally lifts Lauren onto Gemini’s back.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Are you ready? Okay. And up we go.
DESCRIPTION: A woman with long, straight brown hair stands on the other side of the horse.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Good job, Lauren.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Look at you up there.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: I know. Tell Gemini walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Lauren looks comfortable and confident riding on top of Gemini.
DESCRIPTION: Michelle and Brett watch in a viewing area and give Lauren a thumbs-up.
MICHELLE: Go fast.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves at her parents.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good waving.
DESCRIPTION: In another area of the arena, Ty and Ally sit on an upcycled church pew and wave to Lauren.
NARRATOR: Her whole family has come to watch and cheer her on.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren waves with both hands.
STRAIGHT-HAIRED WOMAN: Hi!
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. At SARI, a dappled grey horse stands in a paddock, wearing a blue blanket. The man wearing the ball cap leads Gemini outside.
MICHELLE: SARI's been absolutely fantastic. It's not just getting on a horse and riding. They're doing range of motion, fine motor skills, putting puzzles together.
NARRATOR: Lauren rides Gemini outside to try a sensory trail, one of SARI's many exercises.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls. Outside, Lauren looks around from Gemini’s back. Paddock fence posts have textured round blocks at the top.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: The sensory trail kind of takes them out of their comfort zone. They get to experience kind of a trail ride. We have lots of toys out there, including our texture blocks.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: On the trail, instructor Ally walks behind Gemini and Lauren. The man wearing the ball cap leads the horse, and a woman walks on each side of Lauren, each with a hand on her leg.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So we are on the sensory trail, and we are gonna go over to our texture boards and see if she will touch any of the textures that we have.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: She is able to experience all the different textures, different feelings of the horse. She's able to experience a new environment on her horse. So, we get to see what she likes, dislikes, and how we can incorporate them in our lessons in the future.
DESCRIPTION: On the trail, Gemini stops beside a ridged pink texture block.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, can you touch the purple one? Our first colour is purple, and it has a bit of a stripy texture. Ready, Lauren?
LAUREN: No, no, no.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally touches the block and spins it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Can you touch it? Look…
[She gasps]
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: It spins!
DESCRIPTION: Lauren looks away and holds up a hand.
LAUREN: No!
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: No.
[She chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: Gemini walks to the next texture block, a circle with small, raised circles on top.
NARRATOR: Uh-oh, it doesn't seem like Lauren likes the purple texture block. Maybe with a little confidence boost from Gemini, she'll be brave enough to reach out and touch the next one.
[Blonde-haired woman exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren reaches down and touches the block, and it spins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Oh! Whoa, it spins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren points to the next textured block.
LAUREN: Walk on!
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: We got one more.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: Say, walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Lauren's definitely looking more confident now.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren stops beside a bumpy texture block and touches it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: What's this one, Lauren?
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: What's that?
[Block scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren spins the block.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Whoa.
BLONDE-HAIRED WOMAN: There you go.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Whoo!
DESCRIPTION: The man with the ball cap turns Gemini and leads them back towards the building.
NARRATOR: She's done it. Lauren and Gemini make a great team.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Are you ready to go inside?
LAUREN: Okay.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini and Lauren enter the indoor arena.
NARRATOR: With the sensory trail complete, Lauren and Gemini ride back into the arena to work on her horse-riding skills.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So, with Lauren today, we will be beginning the lesson by a nice obstacle course.
DESCRIPTION: In the indoor arena, Lauren holds Gemini’s reins.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good steering.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: She has the opportunity to do her steering, all the things she's working on while also playing some fun games.
[Toys rattle]
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally holds a green milk crate with small squeaker toys: dogs, bears, monkeys, and octopuses.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay, what are we gonna find in here?
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Today specifically, we will be finding toys for Lauren to match, and she'll carry them to another basket where she will throw them in.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren takes a blue dog out of the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: What colour are we gonna get? Can you find two matching ones?
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally gives Lauren a pink octopus toy.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: The pink octopus. Okay, where's the matching one? Can you get the other one?
[She gasps]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren takes the matching pink octopus toy out of the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Okay, say walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini walks forward.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Say whoa, Gemini.
LAUREN: Whoa, Gem.
DESCRIPTION: A person holds a grey milk crate, with Lauren's octopus toy resting on top.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Big stretch into the basket.
[Toys rattle]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren drops both octopus toys into the crate.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Nice job. Good job.
DESCRIPTION: At home, Lauren’s sister Ally sits beside Ty with Lauren in her lap.
ALLY: Some of the things Lauren's working on at SARI with Gemini is hugging Gemini going over the poles.
[Tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, Lauren rides Gemini towards the poles on the ground.
NARRATOR: That sounds like a physically demanding and challenging move. It's called a two-point. Can Lauren and Gemini pull it off?
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Hey, Lauren, are you ready to give Gemini a hug? Ready, and two-point.
[Inspiring music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren leans forward and holds Gemini’s neck as the horse steps over the poles.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Big stretch. Good job. Say, walk on.
LAUREN: Walk on.
NARRATOR: Wow. She's really doing it.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Good! Yay. Good job, Lauren.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren was able to get up in her stirrups and drop her reins, lean forward on Gemini, and do it all on her own, which she's never done before.
NARRATOR: Lauren's bravery atop her trusty pony, Gemini, is truly a sight to behold. Her parents proudly watch on.
[Michelle laughs]
DESCRIPTION: In the viewing area, Michelle and Brett both give Lauren a thumbs-up.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Lauren, do you wanna trot?
LAUREN: Okay.
OFF-CAMERA VOICE: Grab your reins.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren holds the reins as Gemini walks away from the viewing area.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: There you go.
LAUREN: Walk on.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: We say walk on. Just a nice, slow trot with Gemini. You can do it. Say trot!
LAUREN: Trot.
DESCRIPTION: Gemini trots towards Instructor Ally as Lauren holds the reins. Everyone on the ground runs beside the horse.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: You got it. Good job, look at you go! Whoo! And walk, good job. That was awesome. High fives for everybody.
[Person exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: Lauren high-fives everyone.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Good job. Okay.
DESCRIPTION: In the viewing area, Michelle and Brett stand together.
MICHELLE: She got in a saddle. She started trotting. And now to see her independently doing a two-point, she has no fear, and she's so comfortable up there. It's awesome to see.
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally helps Lauren dismount. She picks Lauren up, and Lauren pets Gemini.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Okay, let's go say thank you to Gemini. Say thank you.
LAUREN: Thank you.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, instructor Ally stands in front of the stalls.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: So, Lauren's confidence since I have been working with her in the last year has improved tremendously. She is a different little girl.
NARRATOR: With another successful lesson complete, Lauren rewards her trusty steed with a delicious snack.
[Lauren laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally holds Lauren in front of Gemini as Lauren feeds Gemini a bowl of carrots. She crouches behind Lauren on the ground as Gemini chews.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: Is she getting all the carrots? Look, she is crunching on a carrot that Lauren brought her from home.
NARRATOR: Gemini has earned her treat.
DESCRIPTION: Instructor Ally picks up Lauren and pets Gemini. Lauren waves at the horse.
INSTRUCTOR ALLY: See Gemini?
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In a flashback, instructor Ally helps Lauren dismount and puts her on the sand.
BRETT: When we first started at SARI, Lauren didn't like the sand part, getting off the horse.
MICHELLE: She's fearful, so she just would dig her heels in and stay planted. We would still have to pick her up and carry her.
DESCRIPTION: In the arena, instructor Ally holds Lauren’s arms as they walk to the edge of the arena. Outside, Lauren walks from the grass to the concrete path.
BRETT: But as Lauren's started to ride Gemini more and get used to the sand texture in the barn, when Lauren would get home, there was no fear of the change in texture anymore. She would go from wood floor to tile floor. Outside, she would go from concrete to grass. She's learned that she can do this on her own.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows younger Lauren pulling on a door handle.
MICHELLE: It's given her the confidence. She is not afraid to open the door, and she's not gonna think twice about going down the three stairs.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Outside, Lauren holds the railing and walks down concrete steps, with Ally walking beside her. Lauren pushes Brett on a swing.
NARRATOR: Lauren sure has come a long way. She's even strong enough to push dad on the swing set. So, what's her next big challenge?
[Children shout]
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together. In the backyard, Lauren and Brett swing side by side. Ally watches Lauren climb onto the trampoline. On the play structure, Ty slides down a slide, and Lauren watches him through a window at the top.
BRETT: Next steps for Lauren, she's taken a shining to our play set outside. She enjoys the swings. She's starting to climb up the climber. And hopefully she'll be going down the slide shortly with no assistance.
ALLEY: Come on, Lauren. Let's go slide.
LAUREN: No!
DESCRIPTION: Lauren covers her eyes. Lauren sits at the top of the slide, and Brett holds her hand. Ally sits on the platform behind her.
ALLEY: Okay.
DESCRIPTION: Lauren slides down the slide, holding Brett’s hand, and lands on the grass.
[Applause]
MICHELLE: Whee! Good job!
DESCRIPTION: Ally slides down the slide and high-fives Lauren.
ALLY: You did it! You went down the slide!
LAUREN: I did it!
ALLY: High five!
DESCRIPTION: Ally and Lauren high-five again.
DESCRIPTION: In the dining room, Michelle and Brett sit together.
BRETT: Lauren went down the slide, which was a huge achievement.
[Ally claps]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Lauren jumps in front of Ally. In the indoor arena, instructor Ally pets Gemini. On the sensory trail, Lauren smiles as she rides Gemini.
MICHELLE: Gemini's just been an amazing horse for Lauren. They've just completely blown me away with what they've been doing. She's a whole new kid.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Ollie and Hope, Lauren and Gemini. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
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