Karin Balgaard’s Legacy Will Nurture Future Breeding Program

Many people are familiar with the saying, “A mother’s work is never done.” But what about the people who take care of mothers? 

Karin Balgaard has been taking care of our mama dogs since she began as a volunteer in early 2014. Currently, she is relishing her last deliveries before she retires in April. Estimating that she has helped bring over 95 litters of Can Do Canines puppies into the world, she says, “The wonder of it all just increases.”

The wonder of all Karin has done has continued to increase over the years, too. She accepted a part-time position as a staff member in August 2017 and was planning to shadow the Breeding Coordinator at that time for a couple of years. However, when that co-worker announced her retirement less than a year later, Karin, fortunately, felt ready. In addition to having assisted with whelping (the process of a dog giving birth), she had dealt with dogs’ medical concerns, behavioral issues, and more. “I’ve done literally everything,” she shares. 

With an insatiable craving for constant improvement, Karin stretched her creativity and soaked up knowledge from research to bring new life into the whelping and puppy early-development experience for both the dogs and those helping them. She recalls, “I built wobble boards from the lids of five-gallon pails, I built swings, I built ladders, I built tunnels. I went to Home Depot and bought different pieces of tile and glued them to various boards so [the puppies could] get used to all different surfaces under their feet.”

Something else Karin built was a 7-week-old assessment, which helps identify assistance dog traits at this very young age. Additionally, she says, “I was able to bring to fruition the Fit-to-Breed Program that all of our breeding dogs follow.” 

Ready to hand over the leash

Although Karin admits “The fire is still there,” and she will miss the daily interactions that have come with her role, she feels good about Can Do Canines’ future. “It’s my time to step out and let the next person step in and carry it all forward.”

Her upcoming interactions will focus on being more available for her children and grandchildren. She looks forward to treasuring more moments with not only her human family members but also her horses and dogs. 

Despite all that Karin has delivered to Can Do Canines, she shared the following in her retirement email to volunteers: “I have one legacy I hope to leave behind: respect for the incredible dogs we are responsible for, and compassion towards them. They give us their all, they strive to please us, to understand all that we ask of them. We can commit to learning and teaching others how to read them, to see and hear them. We can then understand what they love to do, elevate their life experiences, their work, their success, their hearts.”

Although Karin’s work will soon be officially done, her fire will light the way for years to come.