David and Java Learn to Lean on Each Other

By Mike Branch - 

Due to a neuro-cognitive disorder and peripheral neuropathy, David lives with balance and mobility issues. 

His original Can Do Canine, Jewel, could steady David when he was off balance, help him navigate staircases, and retrieve items that had been dropped. Over time, by living with David, she even learned the cues David would experience before having a seizure. When necessary, Jewel, could perform a full set of rescue behaviors by nudging and nibbling him and even licking his face to bring him back from a seizure.

Jewel was nonjudgmental, compassionate, and loyal. Despite her superhero-like skills, however, Jewel was also “only canine” and developed health concerns of her own. Sadly, she passed away in early 2022.

After mourning the loss of Jewel, David applied to Can Do Canines for another service dog. Known as a successor client, David successfully completed the application process and was quickly approved and matched.

Upon meeting Java for the first time, David explained, “My heart was so grateful that it was like an ocean of gratitude. Immediately, it was like we were bonding.” David spent his first training week at Can Do Canines’ New Hope location to understand the specific skills Java had learned for him and to build a relationship with her.

Since David was already an experienced program graduate, he and Java progressed quickly together, continuing their work at home while trainers came to visit. Soon, he and Java were clicking like a machine perfectly customized for the job at hand.

Like Jewel, Java, was trained to perform multiple services, including both mobility and seizure assistance. For example, if David falls, Java brings him a phone. She also nudges David after he seizes to help him recover faster. 

Java is a product of Can Do Canines’ prison program and also spent time training with students in the University of Minnesota’s FETCH (Fostering Education Through Campus Housing) Program. By the time she was paired with David, Java was very familiar with being on the bus and “parking” under a chair or table. “If it wasn’t for service animals,” says David, “I would be confined to the house. I wouldn’t be able to go up or down stairs. I couldn’t do laundry, take a shower, or do other simple things without risk.”

A practitioner of Zen Buddhism, David shares, “[Can Do Canines] is a living example of loving kindness.” He wants Can Do Canines, their staff, the volunteers, and everyone who supports them to know that the services Can Do Canines provides are profound. “The amount of care and compassion they execute and display in their program is astonishing. The work they are doing is very important. It’s transformative and a gift to the world.”

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:

Whelping Home — Dana & Pete Kittok
Great Start Home — Melinda Derus
Puppy Raiser — Jackson Correctional Institution
Special Thanks — Colleen Berg, University of Minnesota FETCH Program