Janet isn’t new to Can Do Canines, she’s an alumni! In 1997, Janet received her first Hearing Assist Dog from Can Do Canines (then Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota). Tiger, a Border Collie mix, was her faithful partner, alerting her to important sounds for 13 years until he passed away in 2010. Years passed, with work, family and friends keeping her busy. In 2019, Janet found herself alone more and felt insecure. Her husband, Pat, often worked nights, and now that her daughter, Angela, was grown and working as well, she felt vulnerable not being able to hear. Janet …
Assistance Dog
Volunteer Spotlight: Rich Freyholtz
About three years ago, Rich retired from his job in IT and was looking for a useful way to spend some of his time. At the urging of a friend, he contacted Can Do Canines and signed up for an orientation. Now, he helps with dog transports, fostering and events of all kinds. Rich says, “I originally volunteered to do short-term foster work. I love dogs, and after my own pooch passed away a few years ago, I missed having a canine companion around. As a foster, I can have a great dog in the house for stretches at a …
Can Do Canines Recognizes Black History Month
Black History Month gives us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements of African Americans in the history of the United States. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to share the accomplishments of three Black people with similar disabilities for which Can Do Canines trains assistance dogs. These individuals made significant contributions to the African American community and made a lasting impact with their advocacy and education efforts for people with disabilities. Let’s meet a few of these remarkable people. Harriet Tubman is known as one of the greatest Black liberators of all time. After being struck …
Living and Exploring–Day or Night–Without Apprehension
Being able to live freely and function with confidence on a daily basis, at home and in public, even when you don’t feel comfortable or safe, are just a couple of reasons Glenice is grateful for Can Do Canines. Glenice is deaf. She was diagnosed with Congenital Progressive Hearing Loss when she was a teenager, and over the course of 30 years, her hearing dwindled until she became completely deaf. She is able to hear with cochlear implants, but those are activated with processors. When those aren’t on—and they aren’t on consistently throughout the day—she isn’t able to hear anything …
Volunteer Spotlight: Natalie Ramirez
Welcome to some new members of the pack, Natalie Ramirez and her family! Read about how she came to be involved with Can Do Canines and how she dove right in as a new foster with Black Lab Ripple. “I first saw a dog in a cape at a local Target years ago and I was intrigued with service dogs. I learned more about what service dogs did and found Can Do Canines,” Natalie says. Natalie picked up her first foster, Ripple, on November 25. When asked what has surprised her the most, she responded, “The incredible amount of information …
A Look Back on 2020
This year has been anything but normal, but the Can Do Canines community has stepped up to keep our mission moving forward despite unprecedented challenges. As we near the end of the year, we wanted to give an update on the state of the program and our mission to place these special dogs with the people who need them, perhaps now more than ever. After a brief pause on operations following the initial shutdown in March, Can Do Canines was quickly declared an essential service and allowed to continue operations. Since then, we have continued to train, place and certify …
Gallagher Works to Minimize Seizure Effects for Ryan
When a grown man can finally celebrate being able to shop alone, rather than under the watchful eye of his wife, some type of special change has happened. That change for Ryan Braaten of Brainerd, MN, was Seizure Assist Dog Gallagher. In 2011, while in the military, Ryan was deployed to Iraq, where he suffered permanent brain damage from a suicide vehicle attack. That injury causes him to experience seizures every day, zapping him of his energy and often, his safety. Married, with two young children and one on the way, Ryan explains the difficulty of the past couple years …
Collie Proves to Be Compassionate and Competent Successor
Upon learning that a Smooth Collie was going to be the breed of dog to succeed her beloved Labrador Retriever, Cali, Cheryl admitted, “I wasn’t sure.” Yet, she shares, “This successor dog and I became successor partners.” Cheryl laughs as she says, “I compare it to having a 2-year-old who follows you everywhere. I think she’s a lot like a cat, and she has an opinion about everything. But I love her.” That’s a good thing, because a literal love-at-first-sight response would not be easy for Cheryl. Learning to Accept Help Cheryl was born prematurely with no vision in her …
A Journey and a Jedi Through Life’s Dark Side
Among the many life lessons to live by from Star Wars, we can understand that fate never tells us the odds, and it’s up to us to fulfill our destiny. A special dog is helping one man better understand these messages. When Army veteran and avid runner Rich suddenly lost almost half of his mobility function, he became twice as dependent on help from others. While remodeling his Coon Rapids home in 2011, Rich fell off the roof and suffered a massive stroke. This caused extremely limited use of his right side, as well as aphasia and ataxia that affects …
Roni and Mobility Assist Dog Eunice Form Complete Friendship
The best of friends often get to a point of being able to complete each others’ sentences. In a way, that practice is something Roni and Mobility Assist Dog Eunice have accomplished in just a matter of weeks. Recently, Roni dropped a bottle of conditioner on the floor and explains, “I started saying the command, and Eunice already had [the bottle] in my hand.” This way of reading Roni’s mind shows just how eager to please the smart, black Labrador Retriever is. In fact, Eunice is so excited to work that the team is practicing patience so that Eunice doesn’t …
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