Leah and Auggie Share Unbreakable Bond

Twelve-year-old Leah recently had a major back surgery, fusing nine of her vertebrae with a rod in her spinal column. Fused by her side during recovery has been her new Mobility Assist Dog, Auggie.

Leah has spina bifida and is paralyzed from the hips down. While she and her parents, Ty and Jen, have managed well over the years, helping with morning routines has become more difficult for them as she has grown.

When Can Do Canines presented at their church in 2023, they were intrigued. Ty says that learning more about the organization, “ended up with us seeing the need for Leah to have an assistance dog.” So when the two were matched later that year, Ty shares, “Leah was in love immediately, so was Auggie.”

He adds, “We enjoyed the training! It was time-consuming but the trainers prepared us heading into the process. Having a fully trained dog turned over to us made the transition easy.”

“Leah and all of us love Auggie, and she feels much more comfortable being on her own,” says Ty. “Leaving Leah home alone didn’t really happen until Auggie came.” They emphasize that newfound feeling of security that being bonded with an assistance dog allows them. “She relies on Auggie now, not Mom and Dad.”

These days, during Leah’s daily bathroom routine, a black Lab is there to help her. Ty says, “Auggie has been most helpful opening drawers and picking up anything she drops, as she isn’t able to bend over while in her wheelchair.” Other assistance Auggie offers at any time is getting a person to come help Leah if needed, pressing push plates, tugging off Leah’s socks and shoes, and cleaning up items into a basket. Ty confirms, “He is very bright, picks up new commands quickly, listens, and performs current commands right away.”

Accountability is not only on Auggie, though. “Leah has done a great job taking ownership of her new responsibilities with Auggie,” says Ty. “Watching Leah light up around Auggie is very fun to watch.”

One thing fun to watch about Auggie is his goofiness. They describe him as a “huge blockhead,” who “runs into stuff as he has no idea how big he is! He is very gentle” [though,] “especially around Leah.”

The family appreciates those who have made Auggie possible for them, with Ty saying, “Thank you to all the many hours the [volunteer] families and Can Do Canines staff has devoted to making Auggie perfect for Leah. Thank you to all the many generous donors who financially support this effort.”

Other people linked to this team are a sponsor couple, Dr. Kristin and Brad Davis. Kristin says, “My husband and I were so excited to have the opportunity to take a journey with a family to watch the process of how a service dog can help the person in need and thus the other caregivers that surround them. I’ve been a pediatrician for 20+ years and wanted to learn even more about how service dogs can help the pediatric population. My husband has been involved in the medical device industry for 20+ years and wanted to see how a dog could be helpful in a human’s life just as so many medical devices have helped millions of others. The decision came from our combined passion to see people’s lives change for the better, which is exactly what Can Do Canines does.”

As for Auggie’s passion? Changing Leah’s life for the better.