Volunteer for an irresistible mission

When you volunteer with ICAN, you’re making a difference in the lives of children and adults living with disabilities, as well as incarcerated individuals and their families.

As an ICAN volunteer working alongside our specially trained dogs, you have the chance to profoundly impact the lives of individuals waiting eagerly for the assistance of a service dog.

Volunteering with us is a unique honor and privilege as you bring independence to these individuals through your dedicated service.

In 2023, ICAN proudly enlisted the support of over 250 volunteers. However, as we expand our reach and impact, we are actively seeking additional volunteers to join our team. Each volunteer is an integral part of the ICAN community, contributing to the success of our initiatives and programs.

There are so many ways you can volunteer with ICAN, including:

(Hover cursor over images to read more about these opportunities!)

Breeder Caretaker

Breeder Caretakers are volunteers responsible for caring for an ICAN Breeder Dog for an extended period of time. At the end of the dog's breeding career, the Breeder Caretaker will have the option to adopt the dog. These volunteers must have a Breeder Caretaker application on file.

Litter Host

Litter Hosts are volunteers who take care of a pregnant breeder dog in their home before she gives birth, and then care for the mother dog and her puppies for 4-8 weeks after they arrive. You will have the support of the ICAN staff and other skilled volunteers called Litter Sitters to help care for the puppies.

Litter Sitter

Litter Sitters visit our youngest service dogs in-training at our Volunteer Litter Hosts' homes for short shifts throughout the time the puppies are with the litter. These volunteers assist in the care of these puppies and participate in early environmental exposure and foundational training activities. Weekend and evening shifts are often available.

Puppy Raiser

Puppy Raisers are a subset of Furlough Volunteers. These volunteers host a service dog in training between 8-16 weeks of age to assist in their foundational training such as potty training, crate training, overall confidence building, and early obedience and cue training.

Furlougher

Our Furlough Volunteers take care of a service dog in-training between the ages of 5.5 months to 2 years old. They host the dog in their home for about 3 weeks at a time to help the dog practice the skills they are learning in one of our correctional facilities or for Veteran needs.

Engagement Team Member

Our Community Engagement Volunteers assist with spreading our mission in the community. Some are trained as Furlough Volunteers and may handle dogs at events. They help with community events, booths, meet & greets, and presentations, including our Puppy Love Year-Round Program.

Fundraising Event Helper

Our Fundraising Event Helpers assist at various fundraising events throughout the year in roles such as set-up, registration and check-in, and clean-up.

ICAN at IU Volunteer

Volunteers that are students at Indiana University - Bloomington are required to be members of the student organization ICAN at IU. Within ICAN at IU, volunteers can serve as a general member (which does not need to register with ICAN directly), a furlough volunteer, a public access volunteer (PAV), a committee member, or an executive board member.

Ambassador Program Member

Ambassador dog handlers are volunteers that adopt an ICAN release dog and have the skillset to assist in demonstrations and presentations in the community as their pet. The dog must pass a yearly assessment, and the volunteer must attend continuous education training with the dog to ensure the dog maintains appropriate behavior and to represent ICAN as an Ambassador Dog.