Anyone who has lost a pet knows that it can feel devastating. The compounding aspect of that animal being one that serves to provide independence and other necessary life skills can be that much worse. Karen and Ben, her career-changed Can Do Canine, offer smiles for the camera. For Can Do Canine graduates who experience the death or retirement of an assistance dog, volunteer Karen Kodzik is there to help. Karen began her relationship with Can Do Canines about eight years ago, hosting dogs and helping at various events. “As my schedule shifted, I could do fostering less and less,” …
Can Do Canines
Building Our Capacity to Serve
As we celebrate 35 years of empowering individuals with disabilities through the life-changing partnership of assistance dogs, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donors and volunteers who have made this mission possible. Your generosity has placed more than 900 specially trained assistance dogs with those in need, bringing freedom, independence, and peace of mind to so many lives. Looking to the future, we recognize the growing demand for these services and the need to expand our capacity. That’s why we are excited to share the news of our upcoming expansion project, with a key component being the development of …
Moses and Jason: A Long-awaited Match Made in Heaven
After a snowmobile accident in 1995 left him paralyzed from the chest down, Jason waited a long time to get an assistance dog. Following his accident, Jason spent four months in the hospital recuperating then jumped right into playing sports. He was active and busy and just didn’t feel like the time was right to get a dog. “But I’m less independent now,” Jason says. “I met a guy at church who has an assistance dog, and he told me about Can Do Canines.” Finally ready to take the first step, Jason went to an open house and soon filled …
Appreciating the Positive Effects of an Autism Assist Dog
“Autism affects every aspect of Norah’s life.” This statement, made by Norah’s mom, Kelly, sums up the challenges Norah faces. Kelly shares a few examples validating this, saying, “Norah has had problems sleeping since birth. Norah does not speak. She does repeat words. Norah has few self-care skills. She walks on her toes so she has AFOs (Ankle Foot Orthosis braces) to help with this.” These challenges, alone, are enough to create anxiety for any parent, and Kelly and her husband, Brian, are no exception. However, what concerned them the most was leaving the house with Norah. Kelly says, “Taking …
Encountering Assistance Dogs in the Wild
Don’t be surprised the next time you are cruising through the produce department of the grocery store, picking up cleaning supplies in Target, or finding the perfect paint color in Menard’s if you see an assistance dog team stroll by. Can Do Canines has over 350 active teams out and about in the world, not to mention the dogs-in-training that might be practicing with a trained volunteer for their future role. That’s not including assistance dogs from other organizations. Most people understand that assistance dogs should not be petted when working. Etiquette for assistance dog teams goes beyond that, though. …
Even Better Than a “Teacher’s Pet”
Kelli was a second-grade teacher for her profession, but in her spare time, she loved to ride horses. A fall from a horse in 2020, though, changed her life. After an eight-day coma scare, Kelli began recovery from a traumatic brain injury that affected the function of the right side of her body. Her right eye no longer focuses correctly due to nerve damage; she is forced to use her left, non-dominant hand for many tasks; and she uses a cane to account for balance issues. The many adjustments in her life and the multiple therapies she regularly undergoes quickly …
Linda and Dean Wedul’s 19-Year Commitment is a Win-Win
It was Linda and Dean Wedul’s 15-year-old daughter who first introduced their family to Can Do Canines in 2005 after reading an article about someone who volunteered with service dogs. “I told her if she did the research and found an organization we could volunteer,” remembers Linda. “I honestly didn’t think she would follow up. About two weeks later we had an appointment for a house inspection with Julianne and within a week had a very large Labradoodle called Nike. When our daughter moved on to college, we weren’t sure if we could manage the time commitment with two people, …
Vanya is Tuned in to Kevin’s Needs
Since 1976, Kevin has been a ham radio operator. Using this type of party-line system, he says, “I literally try to see how many countries I can talk to in the world. At last count, I think I had right around 180 … from Antarctica to the North Pole,” and beyond, including the International Space Station. He has been on calls with King Hussein of Jordan, Ronny Milsap, Barry Goldwater, and other celebrities. These days, the biggest superstar in his life may be his Skilled Home Companion, Vanya, a 3-year-old yellow Lab. Trained to pick up items for him; retrieve …
Open House: November 9, 2024
We will be hosting an open house on Saturday, November 9, from 12-2 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 November 9. You will be asked to share some contact information at our registration table upon arrival. To request a sign language interpreter for the Open House, please contact Laurie at lcarlson@candocanines.org or call 763-331-3000 at least two weeks in advance. We’ll do …
An Update on Our Growth
As we wrap up our summer and send the kids back to school, I wanted to provide you with an update on Can Do Canines’ long-term growth plans and shorter-term building and capital campaign plans. There have been many discussions over the past year, and I want to share the newest developments and revisit how we arrived at our decision to serve more people. Building/Capital Campaign We are nearing completion of our architectural plans to double the size of our facility in New Hope. The construction will include many upgrades to help us better serve our clients and support our …
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