Yul Brings New Light to Tara’s Life

“My days look a lot brighter with having the support of Yul by my side,” says Tara, who received Mobility Assist Dog Yul in mid-2024. 

Yul is not Tara’s first assistance dog, though, but her fourth. 

Tara was just 17 when a car accident caused a spinal cord injury. This resulted in a permanent loss of strength, sensation, and function. “It affects my daily living,” says Tara.

At age 20, nearly 30 years ago now, Tara was certified with her first assistance dog. Since then, she has had three Golden Retriever assistance dogs from another agency. When number four became necessary, Tara contacted Can Do Canines—having heard of the organization from people she had met—and was paired with a lovable black Lab.

Mentioning her experience with Can Do Canines so far, she states, “They have been wonderful in supporting my needs of having an assistance dog. Their knowledge and kindness during team training and after has been amazing.”

Yul is impressing her as well. Tara remembers that without an assistance dog, “I know I struggled with dropping things, opening and closing doors and drawers. I feared going places on my own.” Now, she says, “Yul is able to retrieve dropped objects out of my reach and able to open and close drawers, doors, and cabinets.” He has also been trained to lift Tara’s foot onto the footrest of her wheelchair, tug off her jacket, carry a bag for her, turn on lights, and more. 

Tara affirms, “By having Yul in my home, I feel like I have been given some of my independence back.” Similarly, she says she feels much more confident being out in the community too.

With her world opening up, she relays, “I want to thank you all for making this possible and allowing me to have the independence and confidence that I will gain with Yul.”

Though her dog’s color has become darker, life is now brighter for Tara.

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:

Whelping Home — Kelly Lindemann
Raisers — Jessica Kellogg, Traci Norum
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution
Team Sponsor — Michael Rose