We will be hosting an open house on Saturday, May 20, from noon to 2 p.m., at our campus. Potential clients, volunteers, or anyone who might be interested in supporting the organization is invited to attend to learn how an assistance dog changes the life of a person with a disability. There is no pre-registration for this event, so please join us on May 20. You will be asked to share some contact information at our registration table upon arrival. Take a virtual tour of our campus. Through a self-guided tour, attendees can: Watch a trainer demonstrate some general skills …
assistance dogs
Olive Brings a New Sense of Adventure for Devin
Devin, who is in their mid-20s, sarcastically describes having “a fun mashup” of syndromes: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and post-concussive syndrome. On any given day, they might use a combination of crutches, a walker and a wheelchair. However, when they drop something, difficulties can arise. “I can’t really bend over if I’m using my crutches or my walker. So I would just be stuck there waiting for someone to come get it, or I would have to climb all the way down to the ground, get it, and then figure out a way to climb back up while …
Hard-Working Tommy has Changed Pat’s Life
Three-year-old yellow Lab Tommy was nearly offered a job while at Walmart with his human partner, Pat, when the two of them were shopping there after being certified. Pat explained that a worker saw Tommy picking up an item that Pat had dropped and said they could employ him to collect all the merchandise that falls on the floor throughout the store. Pat is not about to share her precious teammate, though. “My whole life I think has changed when he moved in or even when I knew I was going to get him,” she says. Plus, Tommy is plenty …
Hearing Assist Dog Wrigley Learns “Intelligent Disobedience”
By Mary Gunderson Roy and his wife, Paula, started financially supporting Can Do Canines more than 20 years ago with no thought of becoming an assistance dog family. About two years ago, Roy noticed his hearing wasn’t as sharp. While it’s not unusual for a person in their 60s to lose some hearing ability, Roy’s loss was steep and fast. “I became quite limited without hearing aids,” Roy says. Last summer he was faithfully reading Can Do Canines’ quarterly Tails for You. The article “What are You Waiting For?“ stopped him. “I was reminded, if you qualify for an assistance …
Katherine and Bing Cherish Their Shared Care
Katherine describes herself as having been a “very, very active person,” sometimes having biked 100 miles in a day. So learning in 2004 that she had multiple sclerosis (MS) was a blow. “It was a difficult diagnosis for me,” she recalls. Upon advice from the MS Society, Katherine applied with Can Do Canines in 2010 and was accepted as a client. She says, “I was just thrilled that they would consider me for a service dog.” That year, a black Lab named Summer became Katherine’s first Can Do Canine, and they had a wonderful 12-year partnership. After Summer passed away …
Abby’s World Opens up with Sonora by her Side
Just out of college at the age of 22, Abby went to the doctor thinking she had a common illness. What she didn’t expect was receiving a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Once someone who traveled frequently and lived in Vietnam, Abby felt her world shrink significantly as she moved back in with her parents and began navigating her new reality. To complicate things more, a couple of years into her diagnosis, she developed an allergy to adhesives, which are used on more modern diabetes management devices such as wearable glucose monitors and pumps. Abby had to revert to using test …
Energy Conservation is Priority for Amy and Skilled Home Companion Jackson
Amy has had multiple sclerosis since 2007, and in the past few years, her disability has become more progressive. “I get lightheaded sometimes when I bend to pick up things off the floor,” she explains. She also has difficult walking more than a few steps unassisted, and it’s not uncommon for her to fall or slip to the floor. “I did my best to keep my cell phone handy,” says Amy. While Amy was working with her occupational therapist in 2021, the therapist suggested that she consider an assistance dog. Amy remembers thinking, “I wonder what a dog could do …
A Diva with a Goofy Side
By Mike Branch – Jeff describes his Mobility Assist Dog, Wendy, as “a diva with a goofy side.” She also likes attention, is eager to please, and wants to work. Jeff suffers from painful back problems, making it difficult to bend down and get up again without being in pain. He started experiencing back problems in his 30s after he fell on the ice. Arthritis has weakened his grip, and the pain from his back injury makes it difficult to pick things up off the ground. The pain has made life harder as he gets older. At age 51, even …
An Instant Connection
By Susan Byers – It’s easy to understand why Kaiya had an instant connection with her 3-year-old Mobility and Seizure Assist Dog, Fargo. Both have a strong work ethic, a steady demeanor, and a creative spirit. As an artist, Kaiya uses a steady hand to create intricate body art with henna. As a hard-working yellow Labrador Retriever, Fargo is always close at hand to support Kaiya in countless—and often playful—ways. Kaiya has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that affects blood pressure, heart rate, and electrolyte balance. Kaiya’s symptoms include dizziness upon rising or …
Open House: March 4, 2023
We will be hosting an open house on Saturday, March 4, from noon to 2 p.m., at our campus. Potential clients, volunteers, or anyone who might be interested in supporting the organization is invited to attend to learn how an assistance dog changes the life of a person with a disability. There is no pre-registration for this event, so please join us on March 4. You will be asked to share some contact information at our registration table, upon arrival. Take a virtual tour of our campus. Through a self-guided tour, attendees can: Watch a trainer demonstrate some general skills …
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