“Sunshine on four legs” is how Amy describes her new Mobility Assist Dog, Mosby, a 3-year-old black Lab. “Any space he’s in, he just fills it with light,” she said. The light in Amy’s world wasn’t seeming very bright in early 2021. Her previous Can Do Canine, a black Lab named Dinger, developed cancer in 2020 and passed away, after they had been together for eight years. Amy was heartbroken. She and Dinger had navigated a lot together, including college. So Amy, who has cerebral palsy, knew she couldn’t return to a life without an assistance dog. “I didn’t want …
Feature Stories
A New Life with Furry Ears
The pandemic has caused an increase of accessibility awareness, namely how many people struggle with barriers in society that able-bodied people don’t realize. For instance, facemasks make it impossible to read lips, which people with hearing challenges sometimes need to do. That has been the case for Rita, who started wearing hearing aids over 25 years ago. Yet, hearing aids, alone, can be problematic, as Rita describes, “If you’re in crowded situations you hear noise, but you can’t decipher the noise from the words.” Even though hearing aids can amplify some things, she still relies on reading lips and being …
Remaining Open to Possibilities Allowed Steve to Add Quince to His Life
Shutting doors. That’s what Steve, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, says is one of the most difficult tasks for him to manage on his own, especially when he’s using his power chair. “That’s problematic,” he explains. “I go through, and then with the chair and the footrest, you gotta lean in and you start trying to shut the door, but you have to back up because otherwise it’s going to hit. So that was my biggest challenge as far as being truly limited.” Steve talks in the past tense about that challenge, because he now has Mobility …
Even Without a Diagnosis, a Furry Companion is the Best Prescription
In high school, Maya went from being able to work as a barista to just a few months later being unable to stay upright for a shift. Her ability to withstand activity has continued to diminish over the past five years, and she has spent that time looking for answers from many medical professionals. “I think anyone with a chronic or rare illness knows that half the battle is finding a doctor to figure out what’s wrong with you. I’ve had several diagnoses in my life, some of them fit and some of them have not,” says Maya. Some conditions …
Volunteer Spotlight: The Wahl Family
Tonya Wahl first heard about Can Do Canines at an informational session in Eau Claire in January of 2017, and by April of the same year, she and her family were picking up their first Great Start puppy, a Black Labrador named Quil. After Quil moved on to prison, the Wahls decided to take the plunge into whelping, and they whelped the amazing “A” litter in July 2017. This was followed by several Short-Term Fosters before they once again opened their home to Quil. Tonya said, “We were very excited to get our first Great Start pup as a Long-Term …
Successor Success
By Bobb Elsenpeter For nine years, Paul’s stress and anxiety was alleviated by Autism Assist Dog Dawson, a Smooth Collie. By any measure, their relationship was an unmitigated success as they attended elementary and middle school together. But then things took a turn. Dawson started slowing down, developed arthritis and had trouble seeing. Ultimately, Dawson’s worsening health led to the need for a new Autism Assist Dog. Earlier this year, Paul was matched with Rafi, a black Lab, allowing Dawson to retire as their family pet. Rafi is a third-generation assistance dog for the Can Do Canines Breeding Program and …
Increasing Mobility and Stability With Shelly and Levi
By Ian Hebeisen When Shelly first learned about Can Do Canines, she did not realize how much of an impact the organization would have on her life. Yet 15 years later, she’s not only worked for Can Do Canines, but received assistance dogs of her own. Shelly lives with diabetes, fibromyalgia, and hypotension. Her blood pressure tends to drop suddenly, causing her to fall over. “I could be talking to you…and then five minutes later be on the ground,” said Shelly. On more than one occasion, she hurt herself by falling at home, causing her family and friends to grow …
Regaining Independence with the Help from a New Friend, Flirt
By: Jordyn Robeck Lisa came to Can Do Canines in search of an assistance dog that could live up to her previous companion, Judd. She wasn’t ready for a new canine partner, yet admits, “That year without a dog was so hard. You have to learn to re-live.” Lisa uses a wheelchair, and the idea of independence is almost impossible for her. She says, “I was afraid to go anywhere.” After having two assistance dogs, Lisa knew how life-changing another dog could really be. She had loved Judd dearly and knew those were some big paws to fill. “I was …
Feeling Lost Leads to Newfound Confidence
Consider what it would be like to feel completely fine, and then only a moment later, “you’re completely lost.” This is how Malcolm describes having Type 1 diabetes. “You have no capability of doing even the basic tasks. And people don’t often see that when they look at someone with diabetes. They see someone who’s perfectly fine, there’s no issues, and then all of a sudden they’re acting like they have no idea.” So for Malcolm, it came time for him to try to find some assistance. “I’ve had this illness my whole life. I went a long time where …
Peace of Mind Part II
Living with profound hearing loss can be a stressful experience. Brenda, who recently received her second Can Do Canine, knows this well. “It was frustrating not knowing what was going on. My kids would yell at me to get my attention, or come up behind me and startle me,” Brenda says. Going for walks, which she loves to do, can be nerve-wracking when cars come up behind her and catch her unaware. Brenda tried compensating by wearing hearing aids and staying vigilant. It was exhausting. In 2004, she was employed at Lighthouse for the Blind, working with those who were …
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