December 16, 2015
HOPE THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF A DOG
This past month two beautiful litters of ICAN puppies were born. On November 6th, mamma Alpine gave birth to nine female pups. Yes, an all girl litter! Then, on December 8th, Holly gave birth to six boys and three girls. At 3 l/2 weeks, Alpine's puppies were moved to one of our training facilities, Pendleton Correctional Facility/Indiana Reformatory, where our handlers will care for Alpine and her puppies until they are ready to be puppy raised around 12 weeks. At 16 weeks, they will return to the prison to begin their two year journey on becoming a service dog for a child or an adult living with a disability. The above photo is one of the handlers, Jason, holding one of Alpine's puppies at four weeks old.

It costs $26,000 to train one service dog and ICAN depends on individual contributions and private foundations to make that happen. For the past thirteen years, we have witnessed how the spirit of each ICAN dog brings hope to our inmate handlers, our clients, our volunteers and to the community. And with hope, it brings many gifts... companionship, loyalty, compassion, love, joy, freedom, independence, inspiration, confidence and so much more. However, with a waiting list of nearly 75 applicants, it is critical that we raise more money in order to train additional dogs.

The following are some stories about our current pups in training that bring healing and restored faith to families and communities.

When IMPD Officer Perry Renn was killed in the line of duty, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard wanted to bring healing to the community and knew how ICAN changed people's lives. He asked that an ICAN dog carry on the spirit of Officer Renn who had an enormous love for dogs and was dedicated to serving others. An ICAN pup was named Renn and is bringing joy and healing to Perry's family, local law enforcement and the community.
 
   
Renn with his ICAN handler, Richard; the patch on Renn's training vest represents the two badges of Officer Renn.

Don Ogle was a Bronze Star recipient in the Korean War. His daughter learned about ICAN after watching the facility dogs work with her dad at a rehab hospital. When he passed away, one of her fondest memories with her dad was how the facility dogs brought him happiness during a difficult time. She paid tribute to him by naming an ICAN pup, Ogie. For Don's family, Ogie reminds them of how the dogs made his last days the best they could be. 
(L to R) Mary Ellen (Mimi) & Ogie
Ogie explores his first statue!

Shaunacee was turning 16. Her mother had attended one of ICAN's graduations at The Indiana Women's Prison where she was deeply touched by how the dogs in training transformed the lives of the inmate handlers by restoring responsibility and trust to them. As a birthday gift, Shaunacee's parents sponsored an ICAN pup to give Shaunacee the naming rights. Less than a week before her birthday, a close friend and classmate was killed in a plane crash. To pay tribute to her friend, she named the ICAN pup Gibby. Gibby will carry on the gentle spirit of a young girl whose time on earth ended far too early.

   
Top Left: A handler gently lines up Alpine's puppies for a special photograph; one of these nine puppies will be named Gibby.
Clare, an ICAN dog, was life-changing for Kendall and his mother, Renee.
Kendall lives with autism, and with limited verbal skills he can easily wander off.
His mother's biggest fear was losing him when in public. Clare is now assisting
Kendall as an anchor by his side. Clare has given Renee peace of mind, and
she no longer has the fear of losing her son.

 
  Kendall & Clare awaiting the graduation ceremony. 

Kendall's dog Clare is cared for by Veterinarian, Dr. Robin Wilson, the mother
of late Hannah Wilson, a college senior who was murdered this past April in
Bloomington. (Continue reading, click here)
ICAN | www.icandog.org
5610 Crawfordsville Road, Suite 2101
Indianapolis, IN 46224

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