“We don’t give up. We don’t teach that,” says Angela, the mother of six children. She remembers thinking this when she and her husband, John, were faced with overwhelming odds related to a series of difficult diagnoses given to their youngest child, Talia, years ago. Talia was born with hypotonia (a condition of low muscle tone), methylmalonic acidemia (a metabolic disorder), and a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Although Talia likes to play outside and in the water, paint, and color with chalk, John says, “We started to see her less interested in things.” Plus, adds Angela, “We wanted Talia to be …
Archives for December 2024
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays from everyone at Can Do Canines! As we wrap up another fantastic year full of tail-wagging moments and puppy love, we just wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your incredible support. You make our mission possible, and we can’t wait to embark on more exciting adventures together in the new year! Before our amazing pups head off to their cozy host homes for a well-deserved holiday break, they tried their paws at some fun magic tricks! Check out their adorable antics in the video here. We promise it will bring a smile to your …
Rocket and Guy Find a Perfect Fit
Rocket is a rock star. A cutout of this handsome yellow Lab greets everyone when they first enter the Can Do Canines facility. He was trained as an assistance dog and had his share of photos and videos taken along the way. Guy is a hard-working guy. “I was a pipe fitter out of 539 Minneapolis for 42 years,” he says. Now, though, it’s Rocket that is fitting into Guy’s life. Due to cholesterol and circulation problems, Guy had his right leg amputated above the knee in 2016 and his left leg below the knee in 2022. Realizing that he …
Getting Out and About with Bosco
Twenty-year-old Nick was born with cerebral palsy and has a string of fused vertebrae. But with the use of a power wheelchair, he still likes to spend his days out on the town. His limited mobility used to make those instances rather scary. His mom, Lisa, explains, “If he is in his power wheelchair and out in the community when he would drop something, he does not have the ability to pick it up.” It was not uncommon for Nick to drop his cell phone, and not being able to retrieve it, would have to come home to get Lisa …
Katie and Lilah: From Fear to Freedom
By Alyssa Jackson – Katie’s first impression of her new Mobility Assist Dog, Lilah, was “a sweetheart.” Both Katie and Lilah were full of excitement to finally start working together. Katie says, “It was such a fun experience seeing … how willing she was to help me.” Lilah is a black Labrador Retriever with large ears and big puppy eyes. Katie enjoyed seeing clever Lilah respond to her commands as they trained together, and she was impressed by how quickly Lilah learned exactly what she needed. Katie lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes progressive weakness …
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