ICAN CELEBRATES TEN NEW PARTNERSHIPS! |
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Unleashing Ability
In January, ICAN graduated five Service Dogs. Due to pandemic restrictions inside our training facilities, the team training took place at our office. Louie was placed as a successor and mobility assistance dog to a woman with cerebral Palsy where he picks up dropped items, opens doors, gets help, tugs off her shirt or jacket, and pulls her blanket up and down when she is in bed. Foster was placed as a courthouse dog in northern Indiana where he will act as a social bridge between legal personnel and victims. Molly is now assisting with activities of daily living by providing mobility assistance for a young mother. She will carry her groceries, phone, and keys; pick up dropped items, open doors, tug off clothing, get items from a refrigerator, and get help when needed. Forest and Nugget were placed as Facility dogs. Forest is a successor dog for Bodhi and is working with a teacher in an inner-city school with students Pre-K through 8th grade. Forest will assist students with emotional regulation, life lessons, and anxiety. Nugget was placed with a School Guidance Counselor working with students on issues very similar to Forest's but on the high school level.
In May, ICAN will be holding Team Training and partnering with five Service Dogs. Knox will be going to an elementary school as a successor dog for Daisy. Daisy was placed back in 2010, and after 9 loyal years of serving students is ready for retirement. Kinley will be going to a high school where she will bring great joy to both students and staff. Cash will be a lifelong partner and companion to a young man with Down Syndrome. Frankie will assist with activities of daily living for a gentleman with paraplegia. He will help with doors, activities around the house, and picking up dropped items. Lunar will be helping a Veteran with his daily routine and providing support with walking, doors, and so much more.
JOIN US FOR OUR WINTER-SPRING GRADUATION!
Please join us for our virtual graduation taking place on Thursday, June 17th at 7 pm. Registration is required but there is no cost to attend this celebration. It's very easy to sign up. Click on the link below. A confirmation will be sent to you along with a reminder the week of graduation and the day before! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
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Dear Friends,
We did it! Not only did we survive 2020 – we thrived! With your support, we made extraordinary gains to set ICAN’s growth for decades to come. Some of our proudest moments include quickly moving volunteer and inmate handler education to a virtual platform within a week of the Covid-19 shutdown; launching a new ICAN brand with a style guide for consistency across all media; being a part of the legislative movement to revise the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by plane; standardizing the tracking of genetics in the breeding database to more effectively guide future decisions; creating a comprehensive, week by week puppy raising guide and aligning it with virtual training classes; hosting our first-ever virtual fundraising event; and welcoming over 40 brand new volunteers and 23 puppies to the ICAN mission during a pandemic!
Because of Covid-19, we were unable to place any service dog teams in 2020; however, with all the work you helped us accomplish – we are poised to place over 30 dogs in 2021 – our largest class to date!
2020 also reminded us of the important aspect of our culture to embrace differences and similarities and treat one another with dignity. This has been at the heart of ICAN for 20 years. The people we serve, work and volunteer with have such breadth and depth of experience, and we strive to integrate its array into our daily work. We celebrate the multitude of experiences that shape ICAN into a beautiful mosaic held together by grace and unconditional love – and especially the unwavering love of a dog.
You have supported these incredible efforts through generous contributions, by telling others about our work, by volunteering your time, and making us more impactful than we could ever be on our own. With you by our side, we made incredible strides in unleashing possibilities. We are grateful.
Jillian Ashton, President
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''When asked what ICAN does for me, I have one response. ICAN gives me room to breathe, and in here, that's priceless. I've learned a lot about myself and teamwork. I've developed a unique skill set that I can carry with me upon release. I believe and hope that these skills create a pathway in which to reconnect with my son and possibly grandchildren." - -Jeremy, ICAN Handler, Pendleton Correctional Facility
Above Photo: Mary, ICAN Handler, Indiana Women's Prison, Photo to right: ICAN Pup, Slane
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CORRECTIONAL FACILITY & TRAINING UPDATE
by Sean Diamond, Director of Training
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Hello!
ICAN’s training within the correctional facilities is proceeding at full steam. All three facilities have all their assigned dogs in the facilities and we have resumed normal furlough schedules. The handlers have proven motivated and adept at making the best of the resources and working successfully within the limitations and restrictions that are still present in each of the facilities. This year has been challenging for each and all of us. The handlers, for the most part, have learned the need to rely on each other, assist each other, and work together as a group even more so than they already had in the past in order to have success training their dog and for themselves.
Due to the restrictions within the facilities, we have decided to continue to hold Team Training outside the correctional facilities for the remainder of 2021. As we continue to strive to be safe and respectful of everyone, the Team Trainings are conducted approximately every 2-3 months in smaller groups, as opposed to twice a year, and large groups with the next one scheduled for May. This allows us to continue to conduct the training with social distancing in mind and provide the needed individual training and time that each client deserves.
We know everyone is anxious and curious about how and when we will have our Graduation. We will be doing two video graduation ceremonies that will provide everyone with an in-depth look at our clients, the partnerships, and the joy that was involved. These graduations will be presented on June 17th and a date (to be announced) in December.
Thank you to all of you who have continued to support ICAN in so many ways. This past year has shown us the love, commitment, dedication, and motivation to help that ICAN is so very grateful for. Each and every one of you is a blessing to our mission.
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by Brynne Johnson, Operations Manager
We are ICAN! This year we’ve had some amazing volunteers step up to create fundraisers for ICAN!
Our student led group on the campus at Indiana University, ICAN at IU, found another unique way to support ICAN. They began a peer-to-peer campaign to raise money to sponsor another dog. There are 21 individual students who have created their own fundraising pages and reached out to their personal community to raise support for ICAN.
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Additionally, one of our board members, Heather Quigley-Allen, is training to run an Ironman. She is self-funding all of her training and instead raising support for our dogs in training. She’s committed to raise $3,000 by the time she competes in the Ironman Triathlon on September 26th.
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THIS WEEK!!!
ClusterTruck—a local, delivery-only kitchen—is donating 30% of proceeds to ICAN between 4/26 via 5/02!
Visit CLUSTER TRUCK to order from 50+ Scratch-made entrees—like burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads, wraps, pizza, chicken strips, and more!
MUST APPLY promo-code ICAN at checkout!
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Volunteers, Puppies & ICAN at IU News! |
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ICAN at IU Makes ICAN Shine!
by Nick Meyer, President, ICAN at IU
As ICAN at IU comes to a close for the 20-21 school year, the ICAN at IU Executive Board decided to donate 200 puzzle feeders to ICAN Furlough Volunteers in Indianapolis and Bloomington for Volunteer Appreciation Month! ICAN at IU currently has 23 volunteers that work hands-on with the service dogs in training. The puzzle feeders donated will provide enrichment and stimulus for dogs in the program. We were also presented with a check for $1,000 from Dillon Apartments for receiving the most Likes on Instagram!!
ICAN Pup News
by Moe Kiley, Breeding & Puppy Development Coordinator
This year our goal is to add 25-30 pups to the ICAN family. Currently, we have added the following:
- Shadow (male) came to us from another ADI program as part of the IBC breeding Co-op. He is starting his training in prison.
- We received 3 puppies from Dr. Jamie Young’s latest Maui KasanaCanines litter – Dior (M), Tala (F), and Orla (F). They are starting training with ICAN Puppy Raisers.
- Keli ICAN and Charger ICAN just had a litter a week ago and we will be announcing more in the next couple of weeks. Momma and puppies are doing well.
- Dinah ICAN is hoping to have a litter this Spring/Summer as part of the ABC breeding Co-op. Fingers crossed.
We are continuing to evaluate dogs as potential breeders when they approach maturity between 12-18 months. Stay tuned for more information as the year progresses.
We are always looking for folks who would be interested in helping sponsor some of the supplies we use in whelping and litter raising. If you are interested please contact Brynne Johnson.
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ICAN Volunteer News
by Julie Mathias, Volunteer & Canine Coordinator
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and we cannot put into words the impact our volunteers have on our organization!
At this time, we are looking for Puppy Raisers, Furlough Volunteers, and Litter Hosts. If you live in the Indianapolis area and are interested in volunteering in one of these roles, please contact Julie Mathias.
Puppy Raisers and Furlough Volunteers help reinforce cues and behaviors that are important for their success as graduate service dogs. Some of these include walking on a loose leash, ignoring distractions, greeting people calmly on leash, or being comfortable with a vet touching their paws! Since our dogs receive formal training in three correctional facilities, it’s important for them to spend time in the real world with trained volunteers in order to practice these skills in new and potentially distracting environments with various handlers.
Litter Hosts welcome a breeding female into their home several weeks prior to the puppy’s birth and host the full litter in their home for several weeks after. With the support of our Whelper Helper and Litter Sitter Teams, Litter Hosts provide the daily care and experiences necessary for the puppies to grow up to be strong and confident in their training.
The deadline to register for Summer 2021 (June/July) Furlough and Puppy Raising Foundations Class is May 1st. There will be another class beginning in September 2021. Litter Hosts are accepted on a rolling basis based on upcoming litters and availability.
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Puppies & Ponies at Sunset
Friday, July 16, 2021
Hickory Hall Polo Club
7551 E. 100 N
Whitestown, Indiana 46075
GATES OPEN AT 5 PM
Gate Admission – $40 per vehicle
ICAN is partnering with Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding for our very first charity polo event! This family-friendly event will help raise money to benefit the life-changing missions for these two organizations!
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If you are interested in sponsoring or reserving a Tailgate Box, please contact Dino.
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WAGS & WIGGLES
ICAN is extremely grateful to a number of businesses for selecting us as the recipient of their fundraising efforts. It has been exciting for several months!
We received a total of $7,541 from our participation in the virtual Irish Pub Crawl, DeBrand Fine Chocolates of Indianapolis Give Back Days, the Pot of Dough Fundraiser at Azzip Pizza, and for being chosen as the winner of this year's Peterman Charity Showdown! ICAN will be receiving quarterly donations from Peterman Heating Cooling Plumbing for the entire year!
A huge shout of thanks to everyone who voted and participated in supporting these events!
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NEW ADDRESS!
Indiana Canine Assistant Network
5100 Charles Court
Suite 100
Zionsville, Indiana 46077
317-250-6450
www.icandog.org
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