INDIANAPOLIS — Friday, June 27, is National PTSD Awareness Day — a time to shed light on the struggles faced by those living with PTSD, a disorder that can emerge after trauma, bringing symptoms like severe anxiety and social withdrawal.
The Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) is dedicated to empowering individuals with PTSD and trauma-related disorders through highly trained service dogs. ICAN’s accredited service dog program fosters independence, safety, and companionship for Hoosiers with disabilities, including military Veterans living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma. These dogs are trained to perform essential tasks such as:
• Applying deep pressure therapy to ease anxiety
• Creating a safe personal space in crowded areas
• Alerting and reacting to emotional distress
• Interrupting flashbacks and nightmares
• Providing mobility assistance and retrieving medications
• Turning on lights, searching homes, and scanning doorways
Training a single service dog costs ICAN more than $30,000, covering expert training, nutrition, veterinary care, and lifelong support for the partnership between client and dog. Yet, ICAN ensures cost is never a barrier — clients pay just
$2,900, and qualifying Veterans receive their service dogs at no charge.
With 88,000 Hoosier Veterans living with PTSD and service-related trauma, the demand for service dogs is immense. Currently, ICAN provides psychiatric service dogs only to Indiana residents in the Fort Wayne and Northeastern Indiana area, but with the support of generous Hoosiers, we aim to expand statewide. Veterans in need of mobility assistance dogs can receive
them free of charge, no matter where they live in Indiana.
To donate, visit https://icandog.org/