CFB Halifax goes to the dogs for charity

CFB Halifax goes to the dogs for charity 

By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff 

Staff at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax worked alongside their four-legged friends as the base hosted its Bring Your Dog to Work Day for charity on November 26.  

For a $10 donation, and with the blessing of their colleagues and superiors, staff could spend the workday with their canine companions. While designed as a morale boosting event for the humans on base, the visiting dogs also had opportunities to socialize with each other and bask in the attention from their owners and passersby. 

The event served as a fundraiser for the National Defense Workforce Charitable Campaign (NDWCC), which supports over 86,000 Canadian charities, including many with ties to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The NDWCC in the Halifax region is organized each fall in collaboration with United Way Halifax and HealthPartners. 

“It’s so light and lovely,” said CFB Halifax Public Affairs Officer Ariane Guay-Jadah of the mood around the Base Commander’s Office where she works.  

She brought in her six-year-old female Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Écho. It was Écho’s first time on base and Guay-Jadah said that her canine companion was excited to be visiting. 

Écho was content to lie at Guay-Jadah’s feet by her desk, but also enjoyed playing with Darcy, a five-year-old male Golden Retriever, who was in with his owner Joe Abando, CFB Halifax Events and Outreach Coordinator, a couple of cubicles over.  

Senior Base Public Affairs Officer Margaret Conway said the Bring Your Dog to Work Day idea started at CFB Esquimalt, and was something the local NDWCC team wanted to bring to the east coast. The first Bring Your Dog to Work Day at CFB Halifax was held earlier this year on January 25.  

She said the events have been well received.  

“It’s great for morale.” 

This year’s national NDWCC goal is to raise $2 million to be donated to charities across Canada. Defence Team members can donate online securely using ePledge –https://uwco.ca/gcwcc/donate. For instructions on using ePledge, visit https://tridentnewspaper.com/ndwcc2024/ndwcc-qa/.