Kathy Ferrara & Mobility Assistance Dog Harvey Author: Sarah Schaff It takes a remarkable canine to be an assistance dog and an exceptional person to be a special education teacher, so one can only imagine what’s possible when the two forces combine! This is the story of Kathy Ferrara of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and her mobility assistance dog, Harvey, who are happily thriving in their new partnership. During a regular checkup in 2011, a doctor noticed something wrong with Kathy’s eye response. After further testing, she was officially diagnosed with ataxic cerebral palsy caused by fetal alcohol syndrome. She now …
Mobility Assistance Dog
Review: 2017 Candid Canines Film Fest
Here’s the plain truth about dogs: they’re not always curled up quietly in bed or sitting patiently at your feet waiting for your next brilliant idea. Sometimes they’re trying to cram their 90-pound selves into a tiny pan of water or dropping tennis balls onto your head from the upstairs loft. Once in awhile, when dogs get kooky, their people grab a camera. And that’s how the 2017 Candid Canines Film Fest was born. This year, Can Do Canines hosted the Candid Canines Film Fest outside at Target Field Plaza on July 20 as part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial. Hundreds …
Congratulations 2017 Summer Graduates!
Congratulations to the 14 Can Do Canines teams who received diplomas on Saturday, June 10 in recognition of graduating from Can Do Canines assistance dog program. Each assistance dog was provided free of charge due to the generous support of our donors. The Graduation Ceremony represents the culmination of a long journey for the assistance dogs and their partners. Beginning with Puppy Raisers, either in the homes of volunteers or at one of six Minnesota and Wisconsin prisons, the dogs are raised and taught basic obedience and early assistance dog skills. After 18 months, they are returned to Can Do …
Sun ThisWeek | Assistance Dog Keeps Woman Upright
John Gessner – June 8, 2017 – (Sun ThisWeek) – Burnsville resident, new partner graduate from training. Now on her second assistance dog, Kimberly Hodges still marvels at what the highly trained animals can do. “It is so fascinating to watch these guys work,” the 67-year-old Burnsville resident said. “They’re just amazing. They can do everything but cook dinner and put the dishes away.” Hodges, who has multiple sclerosis, uses her dog to steady her gait and help her keep her balance when she walks. The dog opens and closes Hodges’ cupboards and refrigerator, which have tug fixtures on them. …
Winning Combination
John Eliason & Mobility Assistance Dog Gracie Author: Patti Miller In life, we are often able to choose to take the path of least resistance. But what if you didn’t get the choice? Imagine for a moment a path lined with obstacles, but not the fun obstacles like inflatable slides, giant swinging foam balls or mud bogs that you crawl through on your belly. No, these obstacles include Multiple Sclerosis (MS), vertigo, social anxiety, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, obsessive compulsive disorder, arthritis, and the list continues. No matter your age, medical conditions like these are emotionally debilitating and physically draining. A young …
Bonding with Wilbur
Sara (Sally) Williams and Mobility Assistance Dog Wilbur Author: Bobb Elsenpeter Sara Williams a.k.a. Sally is no stranger to the challenges of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). But in spite of the disease, she meets life on her own terms. Sally and her husband, Jerry, live in Two Rivers, WI: Sally is a retired medical lab technician. As a retiree, Sally uses her time and energy for quilting, taking daily walks, gardening, cooking, attending church, and going out with friends. Unfortunately, MS causes significant fatigue, so Sally relies on the use of a power chair to get around at home and in …
Little PCA on Paws
Nicole Hintz and Mobility Assistance Dog Mac Author: Hanna Kantor It is the simplest things in life that we often take the most for granted. Now, when we think of these things it is the love of one’s family, the ability to drive, having a phone. However, the thing taken the most advantage of is the ability to move; the uninhibited use of our arms and legs. These things, that are so easy to overlook, are something many of us could not imagine living without. However, it is a reality in which 27-year-old Nicole Hintz of Marshall, Minn. lives every day. A …
Loyal Leo
Robert Keck and Mobility Assistance Dog Leo Author: Jake Grossman For many of us, taking on a new pursuit might mean starting a hobby, going on a trip, or trying out a different haircut. For Robert, a web designer from Hopkins, Minn., being matched with Mobility Assist Dog Leo began as a fresh opportunity at “a perfect time in life.” This new chapter has blossomed into a beautiful relationship: the two have been a fantastic team ever since Leo’s placement. Leo has boosted Robert’s confidence and given him an “extra hand” with day-to-day tasks. Robert, who was born with cerebral …
Slowly but Shirley
Kimberly Hodges and Mobility Assistance Dog Shirley Author: Susan Byers It’s been nearly 20 years since Kimberly Hodges from Burnsville, Minn. was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). But thanks to her can do attitude – and two Can Do Canines – Kimberly is standing tall, literally and figuratively. “I’m blessed because I’m still vertical,” she explains. “That’s my goal – to keep walking.” Thankfully, the MS progressed slowly for the first ten years. But over time, Kimberly became marginally worse – more wobbly and at greater risk of falling. That’s when a girlfriend suggested a Mobility Assist Dog from Can …
A Friend to Lean on
Thomas Powers and Mobility Assistance Dog Dryden Author: Caty Taborda-Whitt If you glanced at Thomas (Tom) Powers’ busy schedule, you may never guess he has anything potentially slowing him down. A teacher at an elementary school for the Anoka-Hennepin School district, Tom is also an active leader in the teachers’ union, sings in a choir, and plays in a golf league. Yet over 23 years ago, Tom, of Coon Rapids, was in a car accident that caused a bone spur to his spinal cord resulting in a contusion at the C3-4 vertebrae. This left him as an incomplete quadriplegic with …