By Julie Kirsch – Marina has what is described as a dynamic disability. She suffers from degenerative disc disease and auto-immune disorders. A car accident when she was 19 years old triggered the problems with her back. Her disability can vary greatly from day to day, or even hour to hour. There are good days and bad days. “Some days I can go for a walk, and other days I can’t get out of bed,” explains Marina. Although Marina previously had a privately trained service dog, she had been without a dog for four years. Then she suffered a fall …
News
Facility Dog Inka Gives Back What was Given to Her
It’s not typical for a child who must have routine hospital visits to look forward to the next appointment. Can Do Canine Inka, a facility dog at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, is having that exact effect, though. In late 2022, Inka was matched with Child Life Specialists Sam and Jen to serve on two floors of medical-surgical pediatric units. Sam and Jen were familiar with what being dog handlers would entail, because Can Do Canines Fern began as a facility dog in their building months prior. Sam says she had been looking for a new challenge in her …
How to Clean Your Dog’s Ears
Ear Cleaning Description: The first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with what the dog’s normal and healthy ears look and smell like in order to identify if they become abnormal. If the ear looks abnormal, you may need to do a gentle clean or flush depending on the severity. You will want to start handling the dog’s ears at an early age to build cooperative care. Frequency: Check ears daily for debris or redness. Clean as needed. Supplies: Ear Cleaner (Douxo Micellar, MalAcetic Otic, or Vetoquinol Vet Solutions from chewy.com or pet stores) Cotton Balls only; never use …
David and Java Learn to Lean on Each Other
By Mike Branch – Due to a neuro-cognitive disorder and peripheral neuropathy, David lives with balance and mobility issues. His original Can Do Canine, Jewel, could steady David when he was off balance, help him navigate staircases, and retrieve items that had been dropped. Over time, by living with David, she even learned the cues David would experience before having a seizure. When necessary, Jewel, could perform a full set of rescue behaviors by nudging and nibbling him and even licking his face to bring him back from a seizure. Jewel was nonjudgmental, compassionate, and loyal. Despite her superhero-like skills, …
We’re Whelping a Whelping Center!
We’re excited to announce that the Can Do Canines Board of Directors has passed a resolution for us to move forward with an expansion project. The most likely scenario will have us building on our property. Plans will include a center for whelping purposes and will address other space needs. In order to grow (or even sustain what we currently do), we need to begin whelping on-site with the help of volunteers. Our whelping volunteers literally bring life to our mission, serving in an intense and crucial way. They turn their homes into “Puppy Central,” putting a virtual stop to …
Ivy Keeps the Can Do Canines Love Going for Beth
It wasn’t long after Can Do Canines moved into its current New Hope location in 2010 when Beth came knocking. Living nearby, she first became involved by volunteering. She and her four children helped out in a wide variety of ways and are even credited with coming up with the name of our e-newsletter, The Howler. Her relationship with our organization soon took on a different dynamic when she realized that the multiple sclerosis she had been diagnosed with a few years prior was becoming increasingly challenging. She describes her presenting symptom as fatigue, and neurologists assured her that her …
A “Ferrari” Assistance Dog Helps Bridget See the Road Ahead
“I just felt like life was kind of passing me by,” says Bridget, thinking back to how she was living following a traumatic brain injury she sustained in 2012. “I hit a point where things were untenable with some of the significant side effects I had from that TBI.” Those effects included migraines that sometimes hit her “like a tidal wave,” often causing nausea and other neurological symptoms, possibly seizures. Chronic pain, as well as hypermobility issues, are other factors Bridget deals with. Her use of three fingers on one hand and two on the other was impacted by her …
Gucci Serves as a Model Autism Assist Dog for Kaden
By Jessica Kellogg – For most of his nine years, Kaden and his family have been living a rather isolated life. Beth, Kaden’s mom, describes Kaden as a “friendly and social, but quiet and reserved boy.” He was diagnosed with Level 2 Autism when he was 3 years old. Commonplace activities like shopping for groceries or going out to dinner as a family were insurmountable obstacles, because Kaden could quickly become overwhelmed. Beth recalls how in the early days of Covid shutdowns, their daily lives continued without much change. “Having to stay home all the time actually helped people understand …
Stormie Breeds Independence for Jensen
A quote from American novelist Jamie McGuire reads, “A mother’s love is the strongest energy known to man.” Jensen, who received Mobility Assist Dog Stormie in late 2022, easily senses the maternal energy of Stormie, who came to Jensen after being in our breeding program. Jensen explains, “She had two litters, and I think that really shows in her personality, because of how caring she is.” Stormie’s nurturing presence has been a welcome relief for Jensen. Diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Jensen struggles with muscular weakness and hypermobility. She previously had a Can Do Canine …
High Fives for Dov Ber and Cinco
By Susan Byers – Meet Dov Ber, a young husband, father, and Jewish educator living in Milwaukee. Dov Ber was born without any hearing in one ear and limited hearing in the other. In his youth, he wore a hearing aid which enabled him to participate in mainstream education and social activities among the hearing community. “My parents always encouraged me to be a part of the hearing world,” he said. “As such, I never felt limited by hearing loss.” In adulthood, Dov Ber decided to get cochlear implants in both ears. Given his mainstream upbringing and newfound ability to …
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