Tails from Minnesota: Web Exclusive
Filling the Void
Alicia Blank and Mobility Assist Dog Albert Alicia Blank is a friendly name around Can Do Canines. She and her husband Tim are long-time supporters of the organization, lending their time and talents to fundraising events and educating the public about the importance of assistance dogs. If there’s anyone who understands first-hand the life-changing impact of an assistance dog, it’s Alicia.
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Alicia has battled multiple sclerosis for most of her life. While her symptoms have varied, at this point in her life Alicia has weakness in her limbs, balance issues, and temperature sensitivity—all of which take a toll on her energy level from day to day.
“I broke my hip in 2008 and since then I can’t walk or transfer from place to place. I don’t stand up much and I have to use a sliding board to get in and out of places,” Alicia says.
In 2005 Alicia applied and was placed with Tanner, her first Mobility Assist Dog. Tanner was a warmhearted Golden Retriever who helped the Blaine, Minn. resident live a more independent life for more than eight years. Tanner was always by Alicia’s side picking up items she dropped, including the phone, and acted as a brace for Alicia while she would get to her feet. So when Tanner passed away in November 2013 from cancer, it didn’t take long for Alicia to realize the void the furry helper left in her life.
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“I couldn’t breathe without Tanner around here. As any owner knows, a dog becomes part of your life and it revolves around him,” Alicia says. “I knew someday he’d be gone, but when he’s finally not there it’s really hard.” So in the summer of 2014, Can Do Canines teamed Alicia with a two-year-old black Labrador retriever named Albert. His trainers note that Albert is a “sensitive dog who loves to work. He’s very calm and loves petting and jolly praise.” Alicia recognized these traits immediately.
Can Do Canines
Alicia Blank and Mobility Assist Dog Albert
“Every time I move, he moves with me. If I twitch, he twitches,” Alicia says. “He picks things up and he’s been trained to retrieve the phone. He’ll sometimes even bring me things that I don’t want, but we’re working on that. He always wants to work, work, work!” Sometimes it’s difficult with a successor dog because expectations from years of living together can be so high. But the joyful Lab has lived up to all those expectations and more. He’s picked up right where Tanner left off, opening doors for Alicia both literally and figuratively. While Alicia is appreciative to have someone help her regain her freedom, she’s also grateful to simply have a companion again.
“I call him Alfred for fun and he answers to that, but sometimes on accident I call him Tanner and then he just lies there and looks at me,” Alicia says, laughing. To all of those involved in helping get Albert to where he is today, Alicia says, “The Puppy Raisers are awesome. The fact they raised this dog for me is a blessing. Thank you.” We Thank Those Who Made This Placement Possible: c Puppy Raisers: The Niederloh Family c Dog Donated by: Martha Anderson c Name-a-Puppy Donor: Dvorak Motors
Tails from Minnesota: Web Exclusive
Filling the Void
Alicia Blank and Mobility Assist Dog Albert Alicia Blank is a friendly name around Can Do Canines. She and her husband Tim are long-time supporters of the organization, lending their time and talents to fundraising events and educating the public about the importance of assistance dogs. If there’s anyone who understands first-hand the life-changing impact of an assistance dog, it’s Alicia. Alicia has battled multiple sclerosis for most of her life. While her symptoms have varied, at this point in her life Alicia has weakness in her limbs, balance issues, and temperature sensitivity—all of which take a toll on her energy level from day to day. “I broke my hip in 2008 and since then I can’t walk or transfer from place to place. I don’t stand up much and I have to use a sliding board to get in and out of places,” Alicia says. In 2005 Alicia applied and was placed with Tanner, her first Mobility Assist Dog. Tanner was a warmhearted Golden Retriever who helped the Blaine, Minn. resident live a more independent life for more than eight years. Tanner was always by Alicia’s side picking up items she dropped, including the phone, and acted as a brace for Alicia while she would get to her feet. So when Tanner passed away in November 2013 from cancer, it didn’t take long for Alicia to realize the void the furry helper left in her life. “I couldn’t breathe without Tanner around here. As any owner knows, a dog becomes part of your life and it revolves around him,” Alicia says. “I knew someday he’d be gone, but when he’s finally not there it’s really hard.” So in the summer of 2014, Can Do Canines teamed Alicia with a two-year-old black Labrador retriever named Albert. His trainers note that Albert is a “sensitive dog who loves to work. He’s very calm and loves petting and jolly praise.” Alicia recognized these traits immediately.
Can Do Canines
Alicia Blank and Mobility Assist Dog Albert
“Every time I move, he moves with me. If I twitch, he twitches,” Alicia says. “He picks things up and he’s been trained to retrieve the phone. He’ll sometimes even bring me things that I don’t want, but we’re working on that. He always wants to work, work, work!” Sometimes it’s difficult with a successor dog because expectations from years of living together can be so high. But the joyful Lab has lived up to all those expectations and more. He’s picked up right where Tanner left off, opening doors for Alicia both literally and figuratively. While Alicia is appreciative to have someone help her regain her freedom, she’s also grateful to simply have a companion again. “I call him Alfred for fun and he answers to that, but sometimes on accident I call him Tanner and then he just lies there and looks at me,” Alicia says, laughing. To all of those involved in helping get Albert to where he is today, Alicia says, “The Puppy Raisers are awesome. The fact they raised this dog for me is a blessing. Thank you.” We Thank Those Who Made This Placement Possible: c Puppy Raisers: The Niederloh Family c Dog Donated by: Martha Anderson c Name-a-Puppy Donor: Dvorak Motors
Tails from Minnesota: Web Exclusive
An Imprint on Your Heart
Jarrin Ndiritu and Autism Assist Dog Jazz Jarrin Ndiritu of Minneapolis, Minn is a very energetic, active little boy. He loves his scooter, dogs, Thomas the Train and his family. However, living with autism has presented many challenges for him and his family. Impulsive, he would bolt and run towards something he wanted. If they went to the store, he would launch out of the car, across the parking lot and into the store “shopping” before his parents barely even what happened. He was very insistent on what he wanted while in the store and frequently had meltdowns. Peter, his father, explains further, “He tends to set the tone with his younger brother and sister, which makes things difficult.” Every outing was a struggle; it was just too hard to take Jarrin along. His mother Joslin says, “We missed out on doing things as a family.”
by Gena Rohl
Jarrin’s parents were hoping for. An invitation for the family to watch fireworks with friends really brought home how Jazz has changed their lives. Before, they would have had to arrange for Jarrin’s personal care attendant (PCA) to watch him while the rest of the family went to the party. This time, Jarrin came along with Jazz and they all had a good time … together. More plans for family adventures are in their future. They recently returned to Waterworld, a place they’d visited before. The first time they went, “pre-Jazz”, Jarrin had a meltdown within 15 minutes and they had to leave. This time, she reports, they went through the whole exhibit, “no problem.” The family plans to visit the Children’s Museum next and they look forward to it with pleasure, not anxiety.
One day, Joslin watched a story on TV about an Autism Assist Dog team from Can Do Canines. She saw how the team got through a mall, shopped and averted meltdowns. “I knew Jarrin loved dogs and thought it’d be a great idea for him to have an Autism Assist Dog.” The next day she called the office and started the application process.
Joslin has reported other positive changes as well. She says Jarrin’s verbal skills have improved. He used to say one or two words, and now uses short sentences and can tell them what he wants. Peter thanks the donors who have helped make their placement possible
The wait for Jarrin’s assistance dog took over three years. At times, Joslin says, it felt hopeless, and she was worried. Would the match work? Was this the right decision for their family? She called the office every month, to see where Jarrin was on the waitlist. Finally, it was their turn and their match was Jazz.
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We Thank Those Who Made This Placement Possible: Puppy Raisers: The Sears Family Long-term Foster home: The Inmate Handlers at the Federal Correctional Facility at Waseca Name-a-Puppy Donor: Seagate Technology
Part of the “J” litter of Can Do Canines’ breeding program, the two-year-old black Labrador retriever’s sweet nature was immediately apparent. One of the inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca who helped train Jazz summed it up this way: “She is smart and willing to work at all times. She’s a big celebrity among the women here. Anywhere she goes, people know her and want to say ‘hi.’ I hope Jazz makes someone as happy and joyful as she has done for us. She leaves an imprint on a person’s heart.” And Jazz’s imprint is already in place. Happily in her new home with Jarrin and family, Jazz has found her calling and has become the calming influence that
Can Do Canines
Jarrin Ndiritu and Autism Assist Dog Jazz
Tails from Minnesota: Web Exclusive
A Remarkable Dog
Kristine Cinealis and Hearing Assist Dog Jasper Having heard about Can Do Canines years ago from two friends with Hearing Assist Dogs, it was only recently that Kristine Cinealis of St. Paul decided to apply for a Hearing Assist Dog of her own. Born with a moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss, the impairment has progressed and become more profound over the years. Even with cochlear implants, Kristine still has a difficult time hearing doorbells and other random noises in the house. “I would feel safer and at ease if I had a dog to alert me in my home and while I’m sleeping.”
when he alerted her to a truck backing up in the back office mail room.
Jasper loves to work and is “very eager to please no matter what you ask him to do.” Kristine reports. He alerts her to the doorbell, smoke alarm, kitchen timer, cell phone, dropped items, and anyone walking by between her and her neighbor’s houses. She doesn’t worry about people coming to her door anymore when she has her implants off. Kristine says she now has better peace of mind, as well. Recently her mother’s illness has resulted in urgent phone calls that she worried she might miss. Jasper’s ability to alert her enables her to answer emergency Kristine Cinealis and Hearing Assist Dog Jasper calls in the middle of the night. Enter Jasper, a 2-year old black Labrador retriever To everyone who had a hand in training Jasper, who was part of the “J” litter of puppies born to Can Kristine says, “Thank you! He is a remarkable dog. He’s Do Canines’ breeding program. Jasper was raised by very smart and well-trained and it’s because of all of a volunteer Puppy Raiser family and received his final you and your hard work with him. I’ve been impressed training at the men’s correctional facility in Faribault. that he doesn’t need a lot of practice and he gets it Once matched the pair began the training process right away.” Kristine also appreciates all of the time and to work as a team. Kristine learned that the and money that is donated to Can Do Canines. “Jasper more confident and relaxed she is when out in public, makes me feel safer and allows me to sleep better at the more confident and relaxed Jasper was. Since night. It has been life-changing.” becoming a part of her family, Jasper has befriended many of Kristine’s friends’ dogs. His ‘bestie’ is a Bassett We Thank Those Who Made This Placement Possible: c Puppy Raiser: The Larson Family Hound belonging to Kristine’s boyfriend. Kristine is a teacher, and travels between five different schools to work with the 18 mainstream students with hearing loss who are on her caseload. Kristine is looking forward to bringing Jasper to work and expose her students to an assistance dog. In the short time since being placed with Jasper, he has accompanied her to restaurants, bars, parks, yoga classes, grocery stores, and department stores. On their first public outing to Target, he showed off his skills by alerting Kristine to a timer going off in Caribou. He also surprised her during their first week at school
Can Do Canines
c Long-term Foster Home: The Inmate Handlers at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at Faribault c Name-a-Puppy Donor: The Miller Family