Greg Lawson always loved to travel and was able to as a flight attendant and travel agent for many years. After moving to Minneapolis and meeting his partner, Ray, he continued to travel for fun. Then Type 2 diabetes caused serious complications in his health. Diabetic neuropathy has taken away Greg’s ability to feel his feet or stand and walk since 2005. He uses a powerchair to maneuver around, but when he drops things, he is unable to reach the ground to pick them up. Oreo was Greg’s first Can Do Canines Mobility Assist Dog, who recently passed away. Knowing …
Service Dog
A Nose Knows Best
Disabilities are often a tremendous burden for the individuals who live with them, even if they are invisible to others. If you ran into Isaac today, you’d never know he was living with a disability, except that he’s connected to an assistance dog. So why does he need a working companion with him all the time? Isaac, a dedicated college student from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 4 years old, and nearly 20 years later was still seeking new tools to improve his management. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which …
Raising A Future Assistance Dog During A Crisis
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to lay hold in Minnesota, we were forced to initiate major changes in our lives. In response to the shelter in place order, Can Do Canines closed our facility, canceled all upcoming events, and moved thirty kennel dogs and eighty prison dogs into private homes—bringing the total number of Can Do Canines in volunteers’ homes to 320. So what is it like to raise a future assistance dog during an unprecedented global health crisis? We asked a few of our Puppy Program volunteers to share their experience, and here is what they shared. At first, …
The Gift of a Great Start: The Cerar Family
Puppy Program volunteers are involved in every stage of a future assistance dog’s journey. When the puppies reach 10-weeks of age they take one of two paths through the remainder of the program—either Puppy Raised in prison or Puppy Raised in one of our volunteer’s homes. Before pups go into the Prison Program they get a jump start on the basics in a Great Start Home. From 10–20 weeks of age these pups will continue work on potty and crate training, and focus on basic obedience, house manners, and social exposure. We caught up with the Cerar Family as they …
A New Companion Brings Hope to Teenage Years
As Sandy was approaching her teen years, she never thought she’d end up withdrawing from the world just when her friends were exploring it more. Four years ago, Sandy started becoming dizzy and unable to hear as much as she normally could. She was diagnosed with vestibular migraines though the cause is still a medical mystery. Sandy’s visual processing was impacted so she is easily overwhelmed by lights and movement. Her migraines are triggered by sounds, lights, vibrations, stress, fatigue, and basic stimuli she encounters on a regular basis. Vertigo, instability, and a heightened sensitivity to motions around her are …
English Teacher Learns a New Language
Learning principles can transcend communication barriers, and Kathy Weihe especially appreciates this as a retired English teacher. After spending her career helping others understand their new native language, it was not unfamiliar to work with a partner whose first language was a foreign one, such as her new canine companion. During her teaching career, Kathy started to notice that holding papers as well as getting up from kneeling became more challenging. Ultimately the sudden fatigue she would encounter caused an earlier retirement than originally planned. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and continued to see more ways that the condition …
Welcoming a Chance for Change
Unexpected Changes Melissa is an active young lady–attending college, traveling, and participating in a dedicated theater life. However, last year, she began experiencing alarming symptoms that caused serious health issues. Doctors said her autonomic (involuntary) nervous system was being affected, specifically her blood flow regulation. She was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). This means that Melissa’s blood pressure will suddenly drop after she changes position, such as sitting to standing. She feels waves of intense fatigue and if she moves too quickly or overexerts herself, she can pass out. She has episodes where she is debilitatingly dizzy or …
Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine Bjerkebek
If you’ve ever been to the Fetching Ball Gala then you know it’s quite the event. From the silent auction to the games, from the program to the food, it is clear that there are a lot of balls in the air. And one of the very important people keeping everything in rotation is Catherine Bjerkebek. “I first heard about Can Do Canines from a friend who lived in New Hope,” Catherine says, “Her mother had raised and loved several Golden Retrievers, and when her husband passed away, she was feeling very lonely. My friend thought that it might be …
Volunteer Spotlight: Jackie Culver
Wisconsin resident Jackie Culver has found that being a Prison Foster with Can Do Canines allows her to have dogs in her life while still allowing her to travel in her retirement. “I first heard about Can Do Canines from my daughter Jamie Mueller,” Jackie says. “She knew the only reason I didn’t have my own dog was because I’m gone often. She had seen an article on the back of their newspaper about Can Do Canines and went online to find out more. She and her husband got into volunteering with their first Great Start. My first pup was …
A Sense of Stability
The assistance dogs provided by Can Do Canines help with a number of disabling conditions, including diabetes, autism, seizure response, hearing loss and assisting those with mobility issues. One of the intangible things that the dogs add is a tendency to open the world for those who’ve just received a new dog. Such is the case of Stephanie. Even though Stephanie is by no means a shut-in, two-year-old black Labrador Retriever Sheldon has helped her get out into the world even more – something that she really wasn’t able to do before. Stephanie was born without a left hip socket …