When Hope has a Tail
For much of his adult life, John Rowe lived in pain. An accident in his youth left him with severe back injuries, nerve damage, and fibromyalgia. Each day was a battle with mobility. Even after multiple surgeries and endless attempts at pain management, the relief never lasted.
“I never knew from one moment to the next if I’d be able to move without hurting,” John recalls. Something as small as dropping his keys could leave him stuck, unsure if he’d be able to bend down or stand back up.
As John’s world shrank indoors, his doctors suggested something unexpected: a service dog. They believed a trained companion could help reduce the daily strain on his body—and maybe restore a measure of independence.
That advice would change John’s life.
Through the Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN), John applied for a dog. After a three year wait, he was matched with Terri, a gentle yellow Labrador with an eager heart.
John and Terri at his golf course.
Their partnership began with two weeks of Team Training at the Indiana Women’s Prison, where incarcerated handlers had prepared Terri for her role. At first, John worried whether he could keep up with the training, but Terri’s patience and the support of the trainers helped ease his fears. Slowly, trust and connection grew.
Terri learned to pick up dropped items, fetch John’s phone, and even pull off his socks—simple tasks that once brought sharp pain. But her impact went far beyond convenience.
One memory stands out. John was carrying a shopping bag through the mall when the pain in his hands flared up. Without hesitation, Terri took the bag in her mouth and carried it for him. “That moment,” John says, “I realized how much she was going to change my life.”
Today, Terri ensures John no longer feels trapped by his condition. She gets him moving every morning, encourages him to step outside, and keeps him active. Thanks to her support, John now works part-time at a local golf course. Terri rides along in the cart, sometimes even helps by picking up rakes from sand traps—saving John from painful bends.
Beyond work, Terri helps John reconnect with joy. During the holidays, he dons the red suit and beard as Santa, with Terri trotting beside him as his faithful “reindeer,” spreading smiles to children and parents alike.
With Terri at his side, John feels like the person he used to be—the one who once ran several auto shops in town, full of energy and drive. “If I didn’t have Terri,” he admits, “I think I’d still be sitting down, stuck inside.”
Terri gave him more than assistance. She gave him freedom, confidence, and a renewed purpose.
Stories like John’s remind us that independence can come on four paws. But they don’t happen by accident. They happen because people believe in ICAN’s mission—people who give clients like John, and incarcerated trainers, a second chance.
Your support makes these partnerships possible. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply share the story, you create hope—with a wagging tail at the center of it.