Marina and Mobility Assist Dog Jazmin Create a Connection

By Julie Kirsch - 

Marina has what is described as a dynamic disability. She suffers from degenerative disc disease and auto-immune disorders. A car accident when she was 19 years old triggered the problems with her back. Her disability can vary greatly from day to day, or even hour to hour. There are good days and bad days. “Some days I can go for a walk, and other days I can’t get out of bed,” explains Marina.

Although Marina previously had a privately trained service dog, she had been without a dog for four years. Then she suffered a fall while living alone and was unable to summon help for several hours. This incident prompted her to do a Google search, where she found Can Do Canines. Although she was apprehensive about whether she would qualify for an assistance dog, she contacted Can Do Canines and applied for a Mobility Assist Dog.

Soon, a snuggly black Lab mix named Jazmin entered her life. Before she got Jazmin, Marina was fearful of making a connection with a dog again. However, from the first meeting on their first day of training, there was an immediate connection between them. “It was like she knew that I was her person.” 

Jazmin is trained for many more skills than the dog Marina had previously. She can summon help if Marina needs it in an emergency. In fact, pushing the button to summon help when it is needed is one of Jazmin’s favorite things to do! She also brings Marina her cane and picks up anything that is dropped, as Marina is not supposed to bend down to pick things up, due to her degenerative disc disease. Jazmin can even help her do laundry.

Marina feels less stress in her daily life and is less fearful of being alone now that she has Jazmin. Jazmin also gives Marina a higher level of independence and makes her feel more confident. Marina says of Jazmin, “She is family, but she is my partner too.” Besides the assistance she gives, Jazmin brings Marina joy in many ways. She loves to pet Jazmin’s ears which are “very, very soft” and enjoys watching Jazmin play in the snow, pushing it around with her nose. Jazmin is surely a Minnesota dog!

Marina is “jazzed” about everything that Jazmin means to her. “Having Jazmin has been life-changing. I want to thank Can Do Canines and all the people that put their time and energy into this.”  

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:

Whelping Home — Dana & Pete Kittok
Great Start Home — The Chelgren Family
Puppy Raiser — Jackson Correctional Institution
Special Thanks — Coggan Family
Name-A-Puppy Donor — Rory Boucha