Winter means holiday cheer and snowy landscapes, but along with hot chocolate there are less pleasant wintry associations, like icy sidewalks, dry skin, and windchill. These cold weather concerns can affect all members of your family, including the furry ones. A few precautions can go a long way in ensuring your dog stays happy and healthy in the winter months. 1. Protect the paws: Massaging petroleum jelly or other paw protectants into the paws before going outside helps protect against salt and other chemical agents. It also helps to moisturize pads that have become dry or cracked. Booties can provide …
Service Dog
Volunteer Spotlight: Ann Smetana
It was through an advertisement at her local library in Wisconsin that Ann Smetana first learned about Can Do Canines. It’s been almost two years and numerous weekend fosters since, and Ann will happily tell you she believes her family has become Weekend Puppy Raisers for life! In the spring of 2017, the Smetana family started their journey as Weekend Puppy Raisers for Polly, a Black Labrador Retriever being raised at Jackson Correctional Institution (JCI) in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Twice a month they ventured to JCI to pick up their pre-assigned puppy for a few days of socialization. Since …
Someone Watching Over Him
Casey and Hearing Assist Dog Fallon By Joy Miller Every day Casey deals with progressive hearing loss and difficulty with auditory processing, which forced him away from his career in the medical technology field. He faces this change in his life with great grace and gratitude, due in large part to the loving companions he has by his side every day—wife Linda and Hearing Assist Dog Fallon. Fallon has been trained to alert Casey to sounds he can’t hear like alarms, the doorbell, and the phone. She also nudges him when Linda calls from another room. But Casey especially appreciates …
Volunteer Spotlight: Laurie Gillis
Laurie Gillis was watching the news on a Saturday morning three years ago when she first learned about the Can Do Woofaroo fundraising walk. Looking for a way to socialize her new rescue dog, Barkley, she decided to attend. She remembers, “It was five minutes from my house, it was a really nice Saturday, and I thought, ‘Perfect! I am going!’” And her first Can Do Woofaroo turned into many more. After the event, Laurie decided to check out Can Do Canines further. “I had been looking around for places to volunteer … I love dogs, I love people, and …
First Community Service Dog
Xerxes, one of Can Do Canines most recent graduates, will be leading a life quite different from other graduates. The Black Labrador Retriever was placed not with a person with a disability, but with the Orono Police Department. He’s a Community Service Dog, and the first in Minnesota to serve in this capacity for a police department. As a member of the Orono Police Department, Xerxes will have the important role of comforting and connecting with individuals impacted by trauma or experiencing a mental health crisis in the community. When individuals are experiencing fear, anxiety, or a mental health crisis, …
The Joys of Living
Natalie Beazer and Mobility Assist Dog Sydney By Tammy Waibel Natalie Beazer suffered from chronic pain for years. After many unsuccessful attempts to find relief, she booked an appointment with an internist. He thoroughly asked questions and after a comprehensive analysis, she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. The disorder causes widespread musculoskeletal pain as well as fatigue and issues with sleep, memory, and mood. But Natalie also struggles with migraines and has chronic fatigue syndrome which further limit her ability to do the daily things she would like. Her life was being affected so much that she was unable to work …
Volunteer Spotlight: Sherry Fonseth-Lais
When Sherry invited Can Do Canines to speak to her undergraduate class eight years ago, she never anticipated it was going to result in a volunteer opportunity that filled her with joy, love, and purpose. But that’s exactly what happened. A retired veterinarian, Sherry Fonseth-Lais was teaching an animal behavior class at the University of Minnesota in 2010 when she asked Can Do Canines to speak to her class about assistance dogs. Sherry recalls, “Julianne Larsen brought an amazing dog and a human assistant, and they talked about positive training methods and gave a fascinating demonstration, complete with light switches …
It’s the Law!
By Alan Peters Effective August 1, 2018, it is illegal to pretend that a pet dog is a service dog in Minnesota. Can Do Canines brought the issue forward in 2017 and the Minnesota legislature voted to institute a new law during the 2018 session. It is now a petty misdemeanor on the first offense and increases to a misdemeanor on a second offense. Pet dogs do not receive the rigorous training that true service dogs receive. Poorly trained or dangerous imposters are putting the public and legitimate service dogs at risk. Service Dog handlers are regularly confronted about their …
Patience Paid Off
Patience Paid Off By Sarah Schaff If you hear ‘Mobility Assist Dog’, you might assume the dog helps their handler move. However, for Mike Rowley of Eagan, Minnesota, an assistance dog means the ability to stand still anywhere and anytime. Mike has a form of muscular dystrophy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, meaning the tendons in his legs and hands are shortened, making his leg muscles fatigue quickly. While Mike can walk without adaptive equipment, his main struggle is balance and coordination which puts him at a high risk of falling. His hope when applying for an assistance dog was to …
Volunteer Spotlight – Sue FitzGerald
Raising and training an assistance dog truly requires the efforts of many, and it wouldn’t be possible without people like Sue FitzGerald, a Can Do Canines volunteer helping with our Wisconsin programs. Sue first heard of Can Do Canines at a Twin Cities dog show eight years ago and knew immediately that she wanted to get involved. After relocating from Minnesota to Wisconsin, she wasn’t sure how she could participate, but as fate would have it she learned we were starting a program in Wisconsin. “One of the best days ever was seeing a local news segment indicating that Can …