Dogs Win the Hearts of Inmates

Training dogs for service work with people that have disabilities is an intensely rewarding challenge, even for criminals. Female, male, and juvenile inmates have been training service dogs since the seventies. Some programs even sign the inmates into a binding contract with the dogs for two years or more, to insure benefits for both the dog and the trainer.

Only a single dog out of every 15-20 makes the cut for temperamental testing, training, and perseverance. The odds may seem out of favor, but every dog that graduates from the program makes a huge positive impact on the person that receives the animal.

Even though all of the dogs are adopted out to loving homes, the experience often leaves their trainers in tears. The unconditional love from a dog is something many of the inmates have never had before volunteering with a service dog training program. This love is what ultimately drives some of the inmates to seek advanced education in animal training and care, allowing them to once again become a caring citizen after they have served their time.