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A helping hand (or paw)
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By STEVE MORRIS
smorris@acnpapers.com
Suffering from multiple sclerosis, Ken Stenzel didn't think living an independent life would ever be possible.
But thanks to the help of a service dog, the Stillwater man was proven wrong in a big way.
Through Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to individuals free of charge, Stenzel received a 1 1/2-year-old smooth-coat collie named Calvin to help him with everyday tasks that had become difficult after the onset of MS.
In November, after hours of training at the Maplewood Mall and other east metro locations, Stenzel and his new best friend Calvin will graduate from the program and officially start their journey together as a team.
Stenzel, who for the past eight years has been confined to a wheelchair because of MS, said Calvin has made himself at home since the dog stepped into Stenzel's Curve Crest Boulevard apartment more than three months ago.
Perhaps most importantly, Stenzel said Calvin provides him with a sense of independence he was lacking.
"Anywhere I go, he can go," Stenzel said.
That includes airplanes, restaurants, elevators and everything in between.
"He makes me feel not as vulnerable anymore," Stenzel said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after demonstrating his dog's abilities. "I think if someone tried to do something to me, I think Calvin would have him. He's definitely a one-person dog."
It seems at times Calvin is more useful than a teen going through a rebellious stage at home. Calvin picks things up Stenzel drops, such as keys, and brings them directly to him. The collie can open doors, give money to gas station clerks and retrieve items from cupboards.
"He can't cook and he can't drive the van, but that's about it," Stenzel said with smile.
Calvin weights nearly 80 pounds, has one blue eye and one brown eye and has the temperament of a Wal-Mart greeter. It's this uniqueness and his intelligence that has impressed Stenzel the most.
During a recent visit to the Wal-Mart in Oak Park Heights, Stenzel dropped an item on the tile floor.
"Before I could say anything, he already had it in my hand. He does things without even being commanded. He is a very intelligent dog," he said, adding that Calvin only takes commands from him.
Still, Stenzel wouldn't be giving commands to Calvin had it not been for Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota. Stenzel said to train Calvin, and other service dogs like him, it costs nearly $20,000; the non-profit raises all its money through fundraising efforts.
Through Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, Stenzel had to pay just $10, and undergo a background check and an interview by a volunteer from the organization.
Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota will conduct regular checkups with Stenzel and Calvin to assure everything is OK. If it is, Stenzel will own the dog in about nine months.
It's a small price to pay for a man who has been a local leader in the fight against MS. Stenzel was the area coordinator for 14 MS support groups, volunteers once a week at the Minnesota MS society in Minneapolis and started a support group for couples with MS.
Besides offering animals to people with physical disabilities, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota mission is to enhance the quality of life for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
By all accounts, it appears they have reached their mission in this case, helping Stenzel and his wife Judy live more independently.
"Calvin has really enriched and added so much to our lives," Stenzel said.
Steve Morris covers crime, Washington County and the cities of Bayport and Stillwater for the Gazette. He can be reached at 651-796-1108.
But thanks to the help of a service dog, the Stillwater man was proven wrong in a big way.
Through Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to individuals free of charge, Stenzel received a 1 1/2-year-old smooth-coat collie named Calvin to help him with everyday tasks that had become difficult after the onset of MS.
In November, after hours of training at the Maplewood Mall and other east metro locations, Stenzel and his new best friend Calvin will graduate from the program and officially start their journey together as a team.
Stenzel, who for the past eight years has been confined to a wheelchair because of MS, said Calvin has made himself at home since the dog stepped into Stenzel's Curve Crest Boulevard apartment more than three months ago.
Perhaps most importantly, Stenzel said Calvin provides him with a sense of independence he was lacking.
"Anywhere I go, he can go," Stenzel said.
That includes airplanes, restaurants, elevators and everything in between.
"He makes me feel not as vulnerable anymore," Stenzel said Wednesday afternoon, shortly after demonstrating his dog's abilities. "I think if someone tried to do something to me, I think Calvin would have him. He's definitely a one-person dog."
It seems at times Calvin is more useful than a teen going through a rebellious stage at home. Calvin picks things up Stenzel drops, such as keys, and brings them directly to him. The collie can open doors, give money to gas station clerks and retrieve items from cupboards.
"He can't cook and he can't drive the van, but that's about it," Stenzel said with smile.
Calvin weights nearly 80 pounds, has one blue eye and one brown eye and has the temperament of a Wal-Mart greeter. It's this uniqueness and his intelligence that has impressed Stenzel the most.
During a recent visit to the Wal-Mart in Oak Park Heights, Stenzel dropped an item on the tile floor.
"Before I could say anything, he already had it in my hand. He does things without even being commanded. He is a very intelligent dog," he said, adding that Calvin only takes commands from him.
Still, Stenzel wouldn't be giving commands to Calvin had it not been for Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota. Stenzel said to train Calvin, and other service dogs like him, it costs nearly $20,000; the non-profit raises all its money through fundraising efforts.
Through Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, Stenzel had to pay just $10, and undergo a background check and an interview by a volunteer from the organization.
Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota will conduct regular checkups with Stenzel and Calvin to assure everything is OK. If it is, Stenzel will own the dog in about nine months.
It's a small price to pay for a man who has been a local leader in the fight against MS. Stenzel was the area coordinator for 14 MS support groups, volunteers once a week at the Minnesota MS society in Minneapolis and started a support group for couples with MS.
Besides offering animals to people with physical disabilities, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota mission is to enhance the quality of life for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
By all accounts, it appears they have reached their mission in this case, helping Stenzel and his wife Judy live more independently.
"Calvin has really enriched and added so much to our lives," Stenzel said.
Steve Morris covers crime, Washington County and the cities of Bayport and Stillwater for the Gazette. He can be reached at 651-796-1108.
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