If you visit Can Do Canines on a Wednesday afternoon, you are bound to see long-time dog walkers Margo and Michael Barder providing exercise and attention to the dogs in final training. The Barders first heard of Can Do Canines about four years ago while watching the news, and they have been dedicated dog walkers since. When asked what they love about dog walking, they say, “We love the moments when we learn something from any one of the dogs. Each has their own way of trying to teach us. When the connection happens, it is magical. We’ve also been …
Feature Stories
“Grad Pack” Member Hoped for Lighting to Strike Twice
Not long after being certified as a team in 2010, Terri and Seizure Assist Dog Brody practically became local celebrities. Terri has a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS), similar to a pacemaker, implanted in her chest that Brody was trained to trigger by pressing a magnet on his collar to Terri’s chest when she’s lying on the ground. Doing so can stop the seizure. At the time, they were the first team known in the world to do this, earning them media attention. For Terri, who has regular seizures, due to being involved in an explosion while working as a police …
For Gary, Willow Means Less Falling Down, More Getting Up
“After dealing with Parkinson’s disease for 32 years and having a triple bypass in December, I realized I needed some help,” said Gary, who was recently teamed up with Mobility Assist Dog Willow, a gentle and smart yellow Labrador Retriever. He explained, “My biggest risk is in falling doing everyday tasks. I can do things, but it takes more time and can make me tired. I found I was sitting more and less involved in life.” With Willow, things are looking up for Gary. “Willow helps me get out of a chair and makes me walk,” he said. Because his …
Autism Assist Dog Pippi Becomes the Center of Giovanni’s World
Ten-year-old Giovanni loves to go to the park. His parents, Alex and Kristy, explain that since he has Autism Spectrum Disorder, park outings sometimes meant that Giovanni would lose track of where he was in relation to the adult providing supervision. As Alex says, Giovanni would “get in his own world.” Now, however, Giovanni has Autism Assist Dog Pippi in his world. “She keeps him aware of his surroundings,” says Alex. “He knows she’s around and he looks for her.” And it’s not difficult to pick out Pippi. She’s the black Labrador Retriever with the bright eyes and the tails …
Scoring the Goal of a Lifetime
A young man that zooms on the ice in full hockey gear is generally not what people would envision as an assistance dog handler. When the game is over though, Brady swaps his hockey stick for the leash on his trusted lifeline. Brady was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 11 years old. A few years ago, as he was planning to move away to college and live on his own, he and his family began to worry more about his safety. His family doctor recommended he look into a Diabetes Assist Dog from Can Do Canines, and in late …
Jo Finds New Educational Cause Thanks to Hearing Assist Dog Gladys
A few decades ago in her early 20s, Jo was about to start a role of educating others when she first became aware of a disability. “I failed a hearing test for student teaching,” she admits. Although she hadn’t even realized her hearing was as bad as it was at that time, she continually lost more hearing and went “through every hearing aid that there was.” She then got a cochlear implant, but acknowledges she still misses sounds and parts of conversations, despite her best lip-reading efforts. Jo says, “I was withdrawing a lot socially because I wasn’t sure that …
With a Great Dane Comes Great Responsibility
While Soleil used to receive stares for being a young person using a wheelchair, stares now are usually for a much larger reason—a Great Dane-mix Mobility Assist Dog. Soleil always loved the gentle giant breed and adopted Gandalf as a puppy with the intention of him becoming an assistance dog. They had grown up with dogs, participated in 4H, and were confident in training a Great Dane to be a working companion. Still, while working for the Department of Corrections, Soleil heard about Can Do Canines and decided to explore the opportunity for further guidance in training Gandalf. Hoping for …
2017 Team Sticks to Goal of Advocating for Others
When Robyn graduated with Seizure Assist Dog Ziggy in 2017, she boldly proclaimed, ”We’re going to conquer the world.” Since then, the team has been making good on their promise. Despite a 2013 skiing accident that caused a traumatic brain injury and led to a seizure disorder and migraines, Robyn has been determined to help other “survivors and warriors” like herself. Right around the time she received Ziggy, she created a brain injury support group in Mankato, near her home of Good Thunder, Minnesota. It was the first known group of its kind there, and she has kept the monthly …
Qati Brings Balance to Bennett’s Life
Eleven-year-old Bennett remembers when his parents first told him he would be getting an assistance dog. “I was really excited and I was saying that my life might be changed forever.” That’s just what a cute, little black Lab named Qati (“Catty”) has done for him. Born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Bennett explains how his muscles tire easily and movements can pose difficulties, saying that he often feels “unbalanced. It’s like I’m going to fall and then I catch myself.” Qati, who spent some of her first three years in our prison program in Rochester, knows her skills well and …
Volunteer Spotlight: Susie Baker
Susie Baker first became a Puppy Raiser in 2013. Since then, 22 different Can Do Canines have made their way through the Baker home. She’s also helped put on the Gala, Woofaroo and graduation events and has contributed her creative talents making Name-a-Puppy cards and photo books for team donors. When asked how she first heard of Can Do Canines, Susie said, “When my daughter was in college, a friend’s family was very involved with Can Do Canines. Her friend used to bring the dogs over to play in our fenced-in yard and it was then that I learned about …
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