By Jessica Kellogg – For years, Jon struggled. Phone calls were missed; smoke detectors and doorbells were unnoticed; the voices of his wife and son were unheard. Jon and his family were living with the daily stress of a part of his world being inaccessible. Until Calla came into his life. “My wife drove by the Can Do Canines sign countless times before thinking that an assistance dog might be able to help me,” he says. Jon had been aware of guide dogs for the blind and therapy dogs but did not realize the extensive capabilities of assistance dogs or …
assistance dogs
Ursa Becomes Jasmine’s “POT” of Gold
Jasmine was healthy and active growing up and throughout her teenage years. She says, “I hiked through the mountains of Honduras barefoot because my flip-flops broke, jumped into a waterfall and all these things. Nothing really stopped me, and yet POTS did.” People with POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, might experience lightheadedness, faintness or a rapid heartbeat when changing body positions. Jasmine explains, “It seems like such a minor movement to reach down and get a pen, but … my body has to make up for that change in blood pressure and doesn’t do a good job.” Before she …
First Co-Puppy-Raising Experience a Success!
Can Do Canines would like to recognize volunteers Tiffany Hendrickson and Dana Kittok and their families for completing the first successful co puppy-raising of a Can Do Canine! Jimi, a 2 ½-year-old Labrador mix, shows us that this can be a great option for some volunteers and dogs. Typically, a single household commits to the puppy-raising journey, spending approximately two years teaching a dog good house manners, general obedience, and how to behave well in public. The Covid-19 pandemic led to many more Can Do Canine puppies requiring puppy raisers than normal due to a shortage of prison programs. This …
A Lab to Calm the Storms
When Kim and Eric began considering an Autism Assist Dog for their son, Noah, they were hoping not only for a wonderful companion Noah could have growing up, but also a calming presence in his life. Noah’s autistic tendencies caused him to have what Kim describes as regular, lengthy meltdowns multiple times each day. Can Do Canines knew that Xavi, a 3 ½-year-old black Lab, could be the perfect calm within any storm. So when Xavi entered Noah’s life, the change was sudden and dramatic. Noah’s meltdowns have drastically decreased and are shorter in duration. Kim says, “I won’t even …
Grady’s At-home Skills are a True Gift for Steve
Steve and Sherry were no strangers to Can Do Canines. Steve had Can Do Canine Rhett, a Golden Retriever, as a Mobility Assist Dog from 2007 until early 2021 when Rhett passed. Rhett had helped Steve with various tasks, both at home and out in the community. However, with the pandemic in effect, Steve was realizing that staying mostly at home was becoming his new way of life. He didn’t feel he needed a true mobility dog again, but having a certified dog that could help with tasks around the house was necessary. So when he and Sherry attended a …
Allie and Finley’s Joint Partnership Creates Independence
Allie first knew something was wrong when she was in seventh grade. While in gym class, she was walking to pick up a volleyball. She says, “The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and in more pain than I’d ever been in.” Her knee would not straighten until her dad helped release it later. Allie explains, “It popped, and that’s when we realized that it had dislocated.” The incident wasn’t an isolated one, and Allie kept experiencing joint dislocations, only to receive no helpful diagnoses. At age 16, she says she gave up, thinking, “I guess I’ll …
Mobility Assist Dog Molly Helps Ema Regain her Freedom
By Debbie Surman Many of us enjoy a good mystery, but sometimes that mystery can become a life-changing event leading us in a direction we never thought possible. Not long ago, Ema experienced one such conundrum that would have her feeling like her life would never be the same. Ema is a graduate school student, single mom, homeowner, soccer player, artist, and founding board member of an organization focused on empowering women and non-binary individuals through woodworking. For reasons unknown, she had an attack in 2021 that brought to light some underlying symptoms of vestibulopathy, thoracic outlet syndrome, and foraminal …
Facility Dog Clayton Works to Keep the Stress at Bay
The pandemic has created extreme stress for a number of professionals. The EMS paramedics with M Health Fairview are no exception. Kevin Kane, the Supervisor of M Health Fairview Ambulance Operations, said, “We help people and sometimes we forget that we need to take care of ourselves. Specifically, in the last couple of years with everything that’s been going on, it’s been unrelenting.” So Kevin looked into a unique coping mechanism—an assistance dog. Learning that M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital would be placing Can Do Canines dogs in their setting, Kevin wanted to follow their lead. When Can Do …
Demi Offers Extremely Helpful Benefits
“It’s been a very emotionally challenging eight years as a mother,” admits Tiffany, mother of not only 8-year-old Lucas, who has autism, but also two younger children, including another who has autism. Tiffany explains that Lucas struggles with his emotions. “[His] brain tells him everything to the extreme, sad, mad, nervous, even excited; it’s heightened.” As he has grown up, Lucas has had a tendency to do what is called “elopement” if something would upset him. Tiffany says, “He would just take off running because he wanted to avoid those feelings.” If it happens while they’re on their way somewhere, …
Rui Rui Continues Advocacy Efforts with Second Mobility Assist Dog
Rui Rui, a first-year college student, was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which causes a progressive loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of the body. This means that Rui Rui’s balance is affected, and she cannot walk for long distances without the aid of an electric scooter or wheelchair. Rui Rui doesn’t have a lot of strength or stamina in her legs and wears braces to help her walk. In 2016, Can Do Canines paired her with Mobility Assist Dog Tango, who recently retired. With Rui Rui planning on heading to college in the fall, she …
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