Jack Highberger – April 1, 2017 (KMSP) – A Flight to Nowhere from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Saturday helped a group of Can Do Canines achieve a critical moment in their training. For assistance dogs in training, this was a chance to experience the airport, getting to know the many sights, sounds and smells. “You never know what you are going to run into at the airport,” said program instructor Kaity McGinn. “So it’s so important they can learn to be calm, cool, collected…and not have an accident.” Uno James, a service dog, helps with picking up and retrieving. “I …
News
WKBT News8000 | Organization Looking for Puppy Foster Homes
Matt Clark – March 26, 2017 LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) – An organization is looking for a little puppy love. The organization Can Do Canines raises puppies to become service dogs in a variety of settings, including assessing people with autism or diabetes. Now the organization is spreading its reach into prisons, offering a program for inmates at the Jackson Correctional Institution to be assigned puppies that will follow them around in the facility. But the organization also wants the puppies to get acquainted with the outside world so now they’re looking for 10 volunteers to foster them on the …
The Herald Journal: Locally born Can Do Canines graduate
BY GABE LICHT Editor NEW HOPE, MN – Slightly more than two years after being born in Dana Kittok’s rural Maple Plain home, four Can Do Canines crossed the stage with their clients to graduate as service dogs Feb. 18. “To see ‘my’ babies on stage at graduation with their clients filled my heart with pride,” Kittok said. “To know they took their first breath in my hands over two years ago and see the greatness they do for their clients is remarkable.” Kittok finds satisfaction in whelping puppies for Can Do Canines. “Mother Theresa said, ‘The meaning of life …
Congratulations 2017 Winter Graduates!
Congratulations to the 17 Can Do Canines teams who received diplomas on Saturday, February 18 in recognition of graduating from Can Do Canines assistance dog program. Each assistance dog was provided free of charge due to the generous support of our donors. The Graduation Ceremony represents the culmination of a long journey for the assistance dogs and their partners. Beginning with puppy raisers, either in the homes of volunteers or at one of four Minnesota prisons, the dogs are raised and taught basic obedience and early assistance dog skills. After 18 months, they are returned to Can Do Canines for …
Cory Hepola with Kare 11 | Helping People During Seizures
Lisa Peterson wasn’t sure about getting a dog. “Yes, that’s his favorite thing to do,” Lisa said, as she threw a ball up for Morrie – her Can Do Canine assistance dog – to catch. Now, she proudly shows off pictures because she can’t imagine life without Morrie. “My kids basically lost their Mom for ten years and my husband lost his wife and best friend,” Lisa said. In 2006, Lisa suffered a traumatic brain injury. In an instant, her short-term memory was foggy, she had trouble speaking, and she couldn’t work. She also started having seizures, over 40 a …
WCCO | Assistance Dogs Graduate From Can Do Canines Program
WCCO 4 News came out to film our 2017 Winter Graduation on Saturday, February 18. Thank you to Liz Collin for sharing our Graduation with your Minnesota viewers! Our next Graduation Ceremony will take place at our facility in New hope on Saturday, June 10 at 1 p.m. All are welcome to join our celebration and no RSVP is required. Watch WCCO’s coverage here.
Boosting Stamina with Vinnie
Kerry Houts & Mobility Assist Dog Vinnie By: Jake Grossman Before getting in touch with Can Do Canines, Kerry Houts never dreamed that an assistance dog might help her lead a comfortable and healthy life. “When I was growing up,” she said, “A service dog was only for people with visual impairments. Kerry has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. The neurological condition impairs her balance and she often uses a cane or walking stick to get around. With age and the onset of arthritis, falls became more common for Kerry, who realized that she could use some extra …
Cory Hepola with Kare 11 | Living with a New Purpose
Natalie Regenscheid is the happiest she’s ever been. She works for the state and is also a personal trainer. “With my disability, it’s easy to blend in and no one has to know and they leave me alone,” Regenscheid said. Natalie was born with a severe hearing loss. She wears aids and has learned to read lips, so for years, she just blended in. Until she got Nadia, a Hearing Assistance Dog from Can Do Canines. Then, she started to hear it – the questions. “Well, you hear me just fine, you don’t need a dog. I said – well, …
Kati’s New Downward Dog
Kati Hammar & Mobility Assist Dog Vegas By: Emma Hage Several months ago, Kati Hammar of Plymouth, Minn. was struggling with everyday activities. Her disabilities have made it difficult to walk long distances, so she often requires a wheelchair or crutches. Household chores are strenuous, and participating in her hobbies can be exhausting. Fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and a combination of other chronic diseases have made daily life uncomfortable for the 28-year-old artist. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a collection of heritable connective tissue disorders that can lead to multi-systemic symptoms. Kati experiences persistent pain and is unable to move easily, which …
All Rise for Queen Phoenix
Bill Kostur and Mobility Assistance Dog Phoenix Author: Susan Byers According to Greek mythology, a phoenix rises. But William (Bill) Kostur, a 68-year-old retiree from St. Paul, Minnesota believes that his Mobility Assist Dog, Phoenix, actually descends – from royalty. “She’s a queen,” he says, describing the three-year-old white Standard Poodle that has changed his life for the better. “What I cherish most is how she helps me rise each day – from the bed or a chair, using a tug rope.” Bill has Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a progressive neurological condition where dopamine – the neurotransmitter that connects brain and …
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