Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) was founded in late 2001 by Sally Irvin, Ph.D, who was inspired by the idea of creating positive and powerful connections between at-risk individuals, animals, and people with physical disabilities and developmental disabilities. ICAN is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and serves residents of Indiana, with occasional client placements outside of the state.
The ICAN program began at the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility with incarcerated adolescents. Today, the program engages the abilities of adults incarcerated within Indiana correctional facilities to help train the dogs for service work. Dogs are trained for almost two years by select offenders who apply for and are given a training job with ICAN. ICAN is one of the few prison-based programs where clients receiving a dog visit the prison facility and are trained on-site to work with their new dog by ICAN staff and offenders working within the ICAN program.
In addition to the service dogs assisting people with disabilities, the training of the dogs also assists incarcerated adults develop life, communication, and job skills that will serve them well when they are released from prison and return to their communities.
Since its first graduating service dog class in early 2004, ICAN has partnered 59 people with dogs, with two-thirds of those placements serving children. The dogs are trained to assist people who are managing various diseases or health conditions, including such things as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, autism, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, arthritis, and neuromuscular disorders.
In 2008 ICAN announced its plans to train dogs to detect oncoming diabetic crises in children with Type I/Juvenile Diabetes using the dog's powerful gift of smell. While applications are not yet being accepted for this type of placement, ICAN is excited about this promising new service.
ICAN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
