When you think to yourself “Yes, let’s adopt a pet”. Prison isn’t the first place that springs to mind. However dogs play such an important role in the lives of so many of us that we are now seeing them as the natural healers they are and including them in widespread global rehabilitation programs. Read about these amazing Healing Dogs that go on to become wonderful Dogs for adoption.
Prison Rehabilitation Programs – Greyhounds in Womens Prison
Born into kennels and trained only to race, these beautiful creatures never get to know the sights, sounds and love that they deserve. The human prisoners in the jail system have their own scars too. This program at the Adelaide Womens Prison brings them together with surprisingly lovely results.
“The dogs come in knowing absolutely nothing. Nothing” – Says one prisoner.
This incredible program tasks traumatised prisoners to rehabilitate traumatised race dogs into mild domestic house pets, in just 8 weeks. The program is intense. In some cases if the prisoners can’t work together properly when training these dogs and achieve dramatic behavioural changes, the dogs can face euthanasia.
The result? The prisoners and dogs work together to give each other new found self confidence.
You can watch more episodes of Prisoners and Pups on the ABC
Adopt a Dog – Human Society Men & Shelter Dogs Program
In America there are so many abandoned dogs who need a home that sadly the dog shelters get too full. The wonderful people at the Humane Society organised for the overflow of pets in need of adoption to go to prisons as part of a program to help both dogs and prisoners rehabilitate and heal.
As part of the program the inmates built the facility to house the doggies and seven days a week these guys clean out their kennels, feed them, nurture them, give them ‘play time’, teach them basic behaviour and socialise them so they are ready to be adopted by the outside world.
“How the dog responds and how the dog behaves is a reflection on us” – Say the inmates.
The inmates take serious pride in their assigned dogs rehabilitation with one saying he loves his dog “with all his heart”. The connection, emotion and new found learned responsibility all works towards improving their self esteem.
These programs benefit the hounds, the humans that have made mistakes and the public. The prison offices say they see hardened criminals loosen up and become friendlier and nicer to others. Isn’t the power of dogs wonderful? What they teach us all without even uttering one single word.
