Rebekah, who was matched with Seizure Assist Dog Castle in late 2022, has a history with working dogs. She says, “I had a Golden Retriever growing up as a kid. He was a trained therapy dog.” Without knowing this history, Can Do Canines selected Castle for Rebekah, who also happens to be a Golden Retriever. Referring to this coincidence, Rebekah says, “Having Castle is almost like he’s living on through her.” Compared to her previous dog, Castle is trained to help Rebekah with new challenges in her life. When Rebekah applied to Can Do Canines, she had what she called …
Service Dog
Marina and Mobility Assist Dog Jazmin Create a Connection
By Julie Kirsch – Marina has what is described as a dynamic disability. She suffers from degenerative disc disease and auto-immune disorders. A car accident when she was 19 years old triggered the problems with her back. Her disability can vary greatly from day to day, or even hour to hour. There are good days and bad days. “Some days I can go for a walk, and other days I can’t get out of bed,” explains Marina. Although Marina previously had a privately trained service dog, she had been without a dog for four years. Then she suffered a fall …
Facility Dog Inka Gives Back What was Given to Her
It’s not typical for a child who must have routine hospital visits to look forward to the next appointment. Can Do Canine Inka, a facility dog at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, is having that exact effect, though. In late 2022, Inka was matched with Child Life Specialists Sam and Jen to serve on two floors of medical-surgical pediatric units. Sam and Jen were familiar with what being dog handlers would entail, because Can Do Canines Fern began as a facility dog in their building months prior. Sam says she had been looking for a new challenge in her …
David and Java Learn to Lean on Each Other
By Mike Branch – Due to a neuro-cognitive disorder and peripheral neuropathy, David lives with balance and mobility issues. His original Can Do Canine, Jewel, could steady David when he was off balance, help him navigate staircases, and retrieve items that had been dropped. Over time, by living with David, she even learned the cues David would experience before having a seizure. When necessary, Jewel, could perform a full set of rescue behaviors by nudging and nibbling him and even licking his face to bring him back from a seizure. Jewel was nonjudgmental, compassionate, and loyal. Despite her superhero-like skills, …
Ivy Keeps the Can Do Canines Love Going for Beth
It wasn’t long after Can Do Canines moved into its current New Hope location in 2010 when Beth came knocking. Living nearby, she first became involved by volunteering. She and her four children helped out in a wide variety of ways and are even credited with coming up with the name of our e-newsletter, The Howler. Her relationship with our organization soon took on a different dynamic when she realized that the multiple sclerosis she had been diagnosed with a few years prior was becoming increasingly challenging. She describes her presenting symptom as fatigue, and neurologists assured her that her …
A “Ferrari” Assistance Dog Helps Bridget See the Road Ahead
“I just felt like life was kind of passing me by,” says Bridget, thinking back to how she was living following a traumatic brain injury she sustained in 2012. “I hit a point where things were untenable with some of the significant side effects I had from that TBI.” Those effects included migraines that sometimes hit her “like a tidal wave,” often causing nausea and other neurological symptoms, possibly seizures. Chronic pain, as well as hypermobility issues, are other factors Bridget deals with. Her use of three fingers on one hand and two on the other was impacted by her …
Gucci Serves as a Model Autism Assist Dog for Kaden
By Jessica Kellogg – For most of his nine years, Kaden and his family have been living a rather isolated life. Beth, Kaden’s mom, describes Kaden as a “friendly and social, but quiet and reserved boy.” He was diagnosed with Level 2 Autism when he was 3 years old. Commonplace activities like shopping for groceries or going out to dinner as a family were insurmountable obstacles, because Kaden could quickly become overwhelmed. Beth recalls how in the early days of Covid shutdowns, their daily lives continued without much change. “Having to stay home all the time actually helped people understand …
Stormie Breeds Independence for Jensen
A quote from American novelist Jamie McGuire reads, “A mother’s love is the strongest energy known to man.” Jensen, who received Mobility Assist Dog Stormie in late 2022, easily senses the maternal energy of Stormie, who came to Jensen after being in our breeding program. Jensen explains, “She had two litters, and I think that really shows in her personality, because of how caring she is.” Stormie’s nurturing presence has been a welcome relief for Jensen. Diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Jensen struggles with muscular weakness and hypermobility. She previously had a Can Do Canine …
Open House: August 8, 2023
We will be hosting an open house on Tuesday, August 8, from 6-8 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 August 8. 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 an assistance …
High Fives for Dov Ber and Cinco
By Susan Byers – Meet Dov Ber, a young husband, father, and Jewish educator living in Milwaukee. Dov Ber was born without any hearing in one ear and limited hearing in the other. In his youth, he wore a hearing aid which enabled him to participate in mainstream education and social activities among the hearing community. “My parents always encouraged me to be a part of the hearing world,” he said. “As such, I never felt limited by hearing loss.” In adulthood, Dov Ber decided to get cochlear implants in both ears. Given his mainstream upbringing and newfound ability to …
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