By Beth Billstrom – Kayleigh snuggles closer to Mobility Assist Dog, Winston. “Life is so amazingly different now that I have Winston!” she shares joyfully. “I am beyond grateful for him and all that he brings into my life.” Kayleigh takes a deep breath, growing a bit more subdued as she thinks back to her life before Winston. “My story is a bit different because my disability is invisible. Only the people who see me daily and are involved in my life realize that I struggle. For that reason, as much as I love Winston, it was difficult for me …
Feature Stories
Puppy Love: Jane and Amore
By Jessica Kellogg – Amore. The very word brings to mind images of hearts and roses … and maybe even the big, brown eyes of a 55-pound black labrador. Amore, the dog, was recently partnered with Jane as a Hearing Assist Dog. “I just love her name,” said Jane. “It totally fits her because she is such a love. Anyone who remembers the mid-American classic song immediately breaks into “That’s Amore!” when they hear her name.” If the 1953 hit were written today, perhaps it would go something like this: When the doorbell rings loud And the mailman’s around, There’s …
Zoie’s Transition into Meg’s Life Makes a Big Impact
“I’m sure this is how people with a new baby feel,” says Meg, having received Mobility Assist Dog Zoie recently. Noting her copious amounts of photos, Meg admits, “I’m obsessed with her,” but also concedes some anxiety about their first meeting. “I was super nervous ’cause she’s so smart and I want to make sure that I don’t break her. Right? Like trying to make sure that I help her continue to be the best that she can be.” Now Zoie, too, is trying to help Meg be her own best self, given that Meg sustained a break. In 2008, …
Lobo Lights Up a Family in Work and Play
By Mary Gunderson – Lobo joined Joe and Barb’s home at age 3 1/2 months. They got Lobo as a family pet, the first dog either Joe or Barb had had since childhood. When their three sons, each with special needs, were growing up, adding responsibilities for a dog didn’t make sense. Now with the sons at adult ages, getting a dog appealed to Joe and Barb. Lobo’s gentle demeanor and fur, so fluffy, so soft, charmed them right away. However, love at first sight weakened just after bedtime when their perfect Husky howled from his kennel. And howled. And …
Collin’s Gratitude for Assistance Dogs is All-encompassing
2013 was a devastating year for Collin. Her first Can Do Canine, Cher, a Diabetes Assist Dog, died that June from lymphoma at only 5 years old. Two days later, Collin’s mom died, and the following month, both her aunt and her best friend died on the same day. However, in July, Collin received Giles, her second Can Do Canine. “Giles was great comfort,” says Collin. Giles was also a Diabetes Assist Dog, and Collin remembers, “He would alert me. And so then I’d look at my meter, and it showed that it was going down fast. He was helpful …
Volunteer Overcomes her Fear of Dogs and Reduces Students’ Anxieties
Becca Wicks first learned about Can Do Canines when another volunteer talked about it at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), where she works. Becca says, “I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to see if a dog would fit within my lifestyle and to also overcome my slight fear of them.” She’d had limited experiences with dogs previously, but admits, “Choosing to become a volunteer was one of the best choices I made.” According to Puppy Program Manager, Lindy Luopa, Becca has been a “dedicated and reliable volunteer since 2022.” In these past three years, she has …
Steph and Deja: Tackling Everyday Tasks and Having Fun Along the Way
By Tracy Will – For Steph, the desire to get an assistance dog was rooted in the hope that it could make her daily life a little easier. In black Lab Deja, she got that and so much more. Since coming home with Steph, Deja has become a much-loved family member with a big personality. “She’s a wonderful dog. She does so much good work,” Steph says. “But she also plays. She can be lazy. And yes, sometimes she does things she’s not supposed to. She’s a regular dog. But one with really cool skills.” In 2015, an injury damaged …
Abbi Finds Peace and Safety with Lucy in her Life
When Abbi started to have focus and memory problems in 2018, she was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain. Abbi explains the effects, saying, “I drop so many things like my phone, stylus, remote, medicine bottles, etc.” That is a common problem when Abbi tries to cook because food items and knives fall out of her hands, and she can end up with cuts and burns. Other symptoms affect her too. “Bending down and stooping for me is hard because I either fall or hit my head or body.” Additionally, Abbi has “chorea” from her …
Gwen Brings New Hope to Gabrielle’s Life
About five seizures a week for three straight years. That’s what Gabrielle experienced from a non-epileptic seizure disorder, brought on by Chronic Lyme Disease in late 2020. “It has affected my daily life, emotionally, physically, and socially, and has made me not able to work or go to school,” she says. She feared going anywhere in public, not knowing when a seizure would strike. And although she was able to move out of her family’s home last May, that transition wasn’t bringing her the desired comfort. She explains, “Every day there was a fear of me falling or having seizures …
Lulu Helps This Veteran Live Life in Color
By Mike Branch – War veteran. Army Medic. Paratrooper. Field soldier. Thirty-two years of intense military service, including four wars, have left Will Cruz with injuries “from head to toe,” including a traumatic brain injury and PTSD. When Will finally retired from the U.S. Army in 2012, he wanted only three things: a wood shop, a home near school, and a dog. Will heard about Can Do Canines through a web search. “I looked for ADI organizations near me and Can Do Canines popped up.” Living in New Hope at the time, he considered Can Do Canines an obvious choice, …
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