“My days look a lot brighter with having the support of Yul by my side,” says Tara, who received Mobility Assist Dog Yul in mid-2024. Yul is not Tara’s first assistance dog, though, but her fourth. Tara was just 17 when a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. This resulted in a permanent loss of strength, sensation, and function. “It affects my daily living,” says Tara. At age 20, nearly 30 years ago now, Tara was certified with her first assistance dog. Since then, she has had three Golden Retriever assistance dogs from another agency. When number four became …
assistance dogs
Wylla Inspires Talia Beyond Words
“We don’t give up. We don’t teach that,” says Angela, the mother of six children. She remembers thinking this when she and her husband, John, were faced with overwhelming odds related to a series of difficult diagnoses given to their youngest child, Talia, years ago. Talia was born with hypotonia (a condition of low muscle tone), methylmalonic acidemia (a metabolic disorder), and a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Although Talia likes to play outside and in the water, paint, and color with chalk, John says, “We started to see her less interested in things.” Plus, adds Angela, “We wanted Talia to be …
Rocket and Guy Find a Perfect Fit
Rocket is a rock star. A cutout of this handsome yellow Lab greets everyone when they first enter the Can Do Canines facility. He was trained as an assistance dog and had his share of photos and videos taken along the way. Guy is a hard-working guy. “I was a pipe fitter out of 539 Minneapolis for 42 years,” he says. Now, though, it’s Rocket that is fitting into Guy’s life. Due to cholesterol and circulation problems, Guy had his right leg amputated above the knee in 2016 and his left leg below the knee in 2022. Realizing that he …
Getting Out and About with Bosco
Twenty-year-old Nick was born with cerebral palsy and has a string of fused vertebrae. But with the use of a power wheelchair, he still likes to spend his days out on the town. His limited mobility used to make those instances rather scary. His mom, Lisa, explains, “If he is in his power wheelchair and out in the community when he would drop something, he does not have the ability to pick it up.” It was not uncommon for Nick to drop his cell phone, and not being able to retrieve it, would have to come home to get Lisa …
Katie and Lilah: From Fear to Freedom
By Alyssa Jackson – Katie’s first impression of her new Mobility Assist Dog, Lilah, was “a sweetheart.” Both Katie and Lilah were full of excitement to finally start working together. Katie says, “It was such a fun experience seeing … how willing she was to help me.” Lilah is a black Labrador Retriever with large ears and big puppy eyes. Katie enjoyed seeing clever Lilah respond to her commands as they trained together, and she was impressed by how quickly Lilah learned exactly what she needed. Katie lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes progressive weakness …
Steve is Thrilled he Took Steps to get a Mobility Assist Dog
By Jessica Kellogg – When Steve describes his Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms, he says it’s as if your feet just get stuck, frozen in place. Leading to his 2022 diagnosis, Steve saw PD affect his fine motor movements, gait and balance, and stamina. “I was getting more clumsy and awkward; I was suddenly having tremors all the time.” As his symptoms increased, Steve found himself becoming more and more isolated. “I found myself slowly opting out of plans, just declining to do things socially that I just knew would wear me out.” He knew that remaining active was vital to …
Three Months of Forever: The Life-Changing Bond Between Abigail and Ohana
By Hasini Guntipalli – Was it really only three months? Because it felt like forever. Mobility Assist Dog Ohana moved into Abigail’s home just three short months ago. However, “It already feels like she’s been here forever, and we’ve just always been doing our thing,” Abigail shares, reflecting on the short yet profound time they’ve spent together so far. Before Ohana, “A typical day was filled with pain,” she recalls. “Getting ready, opening the bedroom door, making breakfast, getting coffee, leaving for work—everyday tasks were hard and painful and just would make you not really want to get out of …
Autism Assist Dog Has Brought Confidence and Calm Over the Years
Logan and Gypsy in 2017 It was half his lifetime ago when Logan was paired with Autism Assist Dog Gypsy. Now a 14-year-old eighth grader, Logan was only days away from his seventh birthday when he certified with the black and tan German Shepherd mix dog that Can Do Canines rescued. As Logan’s dad, Aaron, explains, “It’s been amazing for these seven years to watch their relationship grow and change.” He adds, “She quickly caught on to the nuances of Logan. It was like she seamlessly just kind of knew what it was that he needed, and yeah, it’s been …
Jill’s Reprioritization Worked in Our Favor
In recognizing the contributions that Jill Wisdorf has made to Can Do Canines over the past nine years, we might need to actually thank her son. Jill says, “Originally, I did not want to volunteer! In 2014, my son was a junior in high school and wanted to raise a puppy. I wanted new carpet! I didn’t think the two went together. My son signed us up to attend a Tails to Tell presentation. Learning about Can Do Canines and the impact of the organization on both the clients and volunteers had my family and me hooked. We welcomed the …
First Assistance Dog Makes Second One an “Easy Decision”
Get up in the morning. Eat breakfast. Watch TV. Eat lunch. Watch TV. Eat dinner. Watch TV. Go to bed. This routine describes a typical day for Chris before he got a Can Do Canines assistance dog. Born with quad spastic cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to walk, Chris uses a power wheelchair and says, “I can’t just bend over to pick something up.” And having to pick up items is a common occurrence for Chris, who regularly drops items, due to his condition. “It affects my hand movements and the ability to open doors.” He admits that he …
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