Michelle Mehrer and Mobility Assist Dog Gayle By Bill Johnson Like many Minnesotans, Michelle Mehrer crams a lot of outdoor activities into the fleeting warm-weather months. The south Minneapolis resident enjoys long walks around the lakes, as well as to the grocery store, a coffee shop, and several restaurants. She also attends Twins games and concerts. And most mornings, if the weather’s nice, you’ll find her out on the deck eating breakfast. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 28 years ago, Michelle depends on her power chair, along with Mobility Assist Dog Gayle, to lead an active life, regardless of the season. …
Feature Stories
First Community Service Dog
Xerxes, one of Can Do Canines most recent graduates, will be leading a life quite different from other graduates. The Black Labrador Retriever was placed not with a person with a disability, but with the Orono Police Department. He’s a Community Service Dog, and the first in Minnesota to serve in this capacity for a police department. As a member of the Orono Police Department, Xerxes will have the important role of comforting and connecting with individuals impacted by trauma or experiencing a mental health crisis in the community. When individuals are experiencing fear, anxiety, or a mental health crisis, …
Grateful for Glory
Cindy Thoreson-Arnold and Mobility Assist Dog Glory By Joy Miller Cindy Thoreson-Arnold and Mobility Assist Dog Glory are a new team, but their relationship is already off to a solid and loving start. Glory, a Black Labrador Retriever, has been Cindy’s assistance dog since January 2018. Glory is not Cindy’s first assistance dog, though. For 12 years before Glory, Cindy worked with Mobility Assist Dog Blue, a constant source of strength and support. Sadly Blue died in the summer of 2017, and Cindy was devastated at the loss not only of Blue as her Mobility Assist Dog, but also as …
A Life Changing Adventure
Levi and Mobility Assist Dog Dempsey Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination. But Levi hasn’t let cerebral palsy slow him down. A full-time employee, Levi’s average day consists of a mile walk to and from the train station, a 45-minute train ride, and then working the sales floor at Best Buy. He walks, on average, six to seven miles a day. In fact, after Levi was matched with Mobility Assist Dog Dempsey, he purchased a FitBark, a device that tracks a dog’s steps, to see just how far the two ventured each day. Dempsey …
Behind the Scenes: How We Match Dogs with Clients
Finding the right dog for a client is a process that requires the efforts of many. Every other week the client services coordinators and program trainers sit down to discuss the clients on our waiting list and the dogs in final training. During the matching process many factors are taken into consideration—the energy, personality, and skills of the dog need to be right for the client, and the lifestyle, experience, and personality of the client need to be right for the dog. Using these factors, the client is partnered with their best match. At that time the client visits our …
Thank You Volunteers, from Executive Director Alan Peters
When I think about volunteers, I think about the inspirational words of John Bunyan who said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” As volunteers for Can Do Canines, giving your time means that you give of your life and do for others in ways that they can never repay. Take pride in your accomplishments. As you volunteer your time, you share your life with others and you change the world. Can Do Canines depends on your volunteer efforts everyday. You are our partners in providing these special dogs, these …
The Joys of Living
Natalie Beazer and Mobility Assist Dog Sydney By Tammy Waibel Natalie Beazer suffered from chronic pain for years. After many unsuccessful attempts to find relief, she booked an appointment with an internist. He thoroughly asked questions and after a comprehensive analysis, she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. The disorder causes widespread musculoskeletal pain as well as fatigue and issues with sleep, memory, and mood. But Natalie also struggles with migraines and has chronic fatigue syndrome which further limit her ability to do the daily things she would like. Her life was being affected so much that she was unable to work …
Behind the Scenes: Where Do Our Dogs Come From?
You’ve seen a Can Do Canine proudly walking across the graduation stage or quietly retrieving a dropped item for their person. You understand the training, the time and the resources that go into making them the assistance dog they’ve become. But have you ever wondered how they came to be a puppy in a Can Do Canines training cape? Assistance dog organizations around the world face the unique challenge of creating confident, healthy, intelligent dogs. In order to address this challenge, Can Do Canines maintains a breeding program, allowing us to better control for breed, temperament, and health. Because of …
Volunteer Spotlight: Sherry Fonseth-Lais
When Sherry invited Can Do Canines to speak to her undergraduate class eight years ago, she never anticipated it was going to result in a volunteer opportunity that filled her with joy, love, and purpose. But that’s exactly what happened. A retired veterinarian, Sherry Fonseth-Lais was teaching an animal behavior class at the University of Minnesota in 2010 when she asked Can Do Canines to speak to her class about assistance dogs. Sherry recalls, “Julianne Larsen brought an amazing dog and a human assistant, and they talked about positive training methods and gave a fascinating demonstration, complete with light switches …
5 Things I’ve Gained As A Volunteer
Volunteers are motivated to give of themselves for a variety of reasons—to help their community, to share their time and talent, or to learn a new skill. And volunteers gain different things from their experiences. When we interviewed a group of Can Do Canines volunteers about what they have gained from their time volunteering, here is what they shared. 1- Confidence “That I can do this [train a dog]. That I can raise a dog, and train a dog with the support that I have from Can Do Canines. And I really feel like I’m dong a wonderful job; the …
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