#CookPupdate: A pup with a purpose

Jeff, a retired United States Marine Corps Officer, has had a number of surgeries in his back, has weakness in his legs, and is partially paralyzed in his lower extremity.

Charlie is a specially trained black Labrador Retriever who was placed with Jeff after graduating from the Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) program on December 6, 2018. Charlie, whose training was sponsored by Cook, will serve as Jeff’s mobility assistance dog, and help him with a variety of day to day tasks.

“Charlie will enrich Jeff’s life,” said Dino Sierp, the director of Development & Outreach at ICAN.

“Jeff will have more independence in his life,” Dino said. “Charlie will give him loyalty and companionship. Charlie will be there for him on his good days and his bad days, and he will dedicate the rest of his life to helping Jeff.”

What is ICAN? 

ICAN is an accredited Indiana non-profit service dog organization that strives to meet important needs in local communities.

According to its website, “The mission of ICAN brings together three diverse groups to empower people to live more enriched and independent lives.

• Children and adults with disabilities and their families find they can live more independent and productive lives with the help of a service dog.
• Carefully screened incarcerated adults train these dogs. These handlers have the full time responsibility, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, to care for and teach their dogs the skills needed to become successful service dogs. The handlers also gain many professional and life skills that help with a successful re-entry to our communities.
• By working with a dog’s innate temperament and eagerness to be with people, ICAN is able to provide service dogs with work they enjoy.”

“I didn’t understand how broad the impact of this program was until seeing it in person. It was incredible.” said Aimee Hawkins-Mungle, Cook’s vice president of Administrative Services. She attended the ICAN graduation ceremony for Charlie and a dozen other trained pups at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis.

“Not only are they fulfilling a life-changing need for the recipient, they are changing the lives of their family members,” Aimee said. “They are providing hope and purpose to the inmates chosen as trainers, companionship and purpose for the furlough volunteers, and in some cases, providing a sense of healing.”

Training and special skills

In January of 2017, Charlie started the ICAN program. During the early levels of his training, Charlie worked with an ICAN handler named Randy at the Correctional Industrial Facility.

“Charlie was my eighth ICAN dog. While I have loved all of the dogs I have trained equally, Charlie was special,” Randy said. “I always called him Charlie Bear for two reasons: his favorite toy was a teddy bear and his favorite snack happened to be called Charlee Bears.”

“I want to thank Cook Medical for their support in helping to train Charlie,” he added. “I still remember the name tag they gave him shaped like a bone. It was too heavy for him as a puppy, but he grew into it and wore it proudly.”

Throughout the later stages of Charlie’s training, he worked with an ICAN handler named Edith at the Indiana Women’s Prison. During their time together, the pair became quite close.

When they started working together, Charlie had already completed the first and second levels of his training. With Edith, Charlie learned the most advanced tasks and client-specific skills that would help him to become the companion to someone with special physical or emotional needs. They focused on skills like opening doors, picking up dropped items, providing balance, turning light switches on and off, and finding help when needed.

“Thank you for sponsoring Charlie,” Edith said. “He is so smart and has become an amazing service dog. He’s becoming someone’s miracle, just like he was one for me. I didn’t think that I could give back until he was given to me. Knowing that I am helping someone through Charlie allows me to let go of my past and look towards a better future.”

“The gifts a dog provides an inmate in the ICAN training program are endless,” Dino said. “I have been blessed to see those gifts transform and, not only in their skills to become excellent trainers, but to watch them grow emotionally and spiritually.”

Want to read more about Charlie? Check out these other stories on the Life@Cook blog.

• Pupdates: Cook’s sponsored service dog

• #CookPupdate: Charlie Bear

• #CookPupdate: Charlie Bear is on track for December graduation

Below are photos of Charlie taken over the course of his training.