By Sarah Lennander Sandra and Chris had concerns when applying for an assistance dog for their now 11-year-old daughter, Briella, who has autism spectrum disorder. Their biggest worry? “The dog being able to cope with Briella,” says mom Sandra. “She can get pretty aggressive when she gets upset, so could a dog be able to handle being with her?” Briella has increased sensory sensitivities and is particularly bothered by sound. In addition, she doesn’t understand the concept of danger and will run away when a situation becomes overwhelming, potentially putting herself in harm’s way. “We were at a Burger King …
Feature Stories
Nicole and Astro Create Joyful Partnership
Nicole, who has spastic cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair, says, “I may have wheels, but that’s just a part of me.” Another part of her life these days is Astro, her Mobility Assist Dog. Nicole originally became aware of Can Do Canines when she saw another resident in her apartment building teamed with one of our service dogs. Shortly after that, in 2017, she was paired with Mac, who recently had to retire. Nicole explains, “He let me know that he was done. He just wanted to be a dog, and I respected that, because that’s what he …
Two Families Celebrating Two Decades of Service
We’d like to recognize two families celebrating 20 years of volunteering with Can Do Canines in 2022! Patty and Joe Van Landschoot joined us in June 2002 as volunteer Puppy Raisers. Their first dog was Yogi, a Golden Retriever. With daughter Alyssa, they’ve volunteered with our puppy program in many roles—as a Foster Home, Puppy Raiser, Whelping Home and a Breeder Host. Patty says “Thinking of the dogs brings back so many great memories. If I am correct in my count, we’ve had a dozen dogs, plus Hildie who had four litters of puppies with us.” Upon a well deserved …
Harry is Allowing Sadie to Paint a New Picture of her Future
Sadie is in her third year at St. Cloud State University, studying to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in 2D Media. Getting to this point, though, has not been easy. She recalls, “When I was 8 years old, I woke up with a migraine and haven’t gone a day without since.” Four years later, she contracted mononucleosis, which caused her to develop Dysautonomia, a condition that may lie dormant until an illness prompts it to emerge. More recently, she received a diagnosis for MASS Phenotype, a connective tissue disorder. She explains, “These conditions cause pain, fatigue, …
Bentley’s Touches Help Tim to Keep Touching Lives
“To teach is to touch a life forever.” Most teachers are familiar with this quote by Jerry Whittle, and touching lives through teaching is something Tim seems to do without even trying. In his 53rd year as an anthropology professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Tim says of teaching, “That’s been my whole life.” Something that has occurred more recently in his life–approximately 15 years ago, is a loss of hearing. That’s why when Tim’s young granddaughter insisted he needed a service dog to help him, he looked into the concept. “It’s really difficult to argue with a 7-year-old granddaughter …
A Team of Two Makes for One Independent Life
With three of her close friends already having Can Do Canine dogs of their own, Jessie was ready for her turn. She says of her friends’ assistance dogs, “I just saw how much they could help them in their everyday lives, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I want that!’” Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at age 1, Jessie, who is now a sophomore at Century College, has always had to rely on other people to do things for her. She uses a wheelchair and has limited mobility in her arms. Typically a family member or friend is always within …
Whisper Provides Perfect Fit for Sue
“I wasn’t really sure how a dog would fit my needs,” remembers Sue, who was recently teamed with Mobility Assist Dog Whisper. “I thought there are others needing service dogs more than me.” Some people might wonder how Sue could think this, given her medical history, but her positive attitude keeps any self-pity at bay. In her 20s, Sue had a brain bleed and paralysis, which she overcame with physical therapy. However, she says, “As I got older, my body didn’t compensate for this and I have spasticity in my leg and weakness.” Later, a cancer diagnosis and the related …
Xander Gets Michael Up and Moving
The singer Gloria Estefan released a song in the late 80s that contained the lyrics, “Get on your feet. Stand up and take some action.” That’s exactly what Mobility Assist Dog Xander is helping his partner, Michael, to do. Michael, who has lesions on his spine and was diagnosed with recurring/relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2016, says of Xander, “He keeps me on my feet.” Prior to having Xander, Michael admits he spent a lot of time in his living room chair. “I couldn’t stand in place for very long,” says Michael. Xander has changed that. In only their initial days …
Liv’s Life Improves with “Clark Care”
Imagine not knowing if you would pass out each time you bend over. That’s Olivia’s reality. Born three months premature, which led to hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, and diagnosed at age 8 with a unique form of epilepsy, Liv has had over 150 surgeries in her 26 years of life so far. Yet, it wasn’t until college that she realized how desperately she needed a dog as part of her care team. “When I was a freshman,” she recalls, “I was alone in my dorm room, studying for midterms, and I had a seizure.” Luckily, she was able to get …
Viggo’s Dedication Reinforces Carden’s Dedication to Future Plan
Carden Olson Viggo Can Do Canines Service Dog by Liz Banfield Carden, who just became one half of Can Do Canines’ 800th team to certify, says of his desire to get an assistance dog, “I was just really hoping to have a companion to help me to do things that could enhance my daily life, that could make my disability less of a hindrance for me and have a partner to help me with things.” The disability Carden’s referring to is cerebral palsy. The partner, now helping him deal with it, is Viggo, a 3-year-old black Labrador Retriever. Now in …
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