Pets in Prisons
Pet Foster Network
Dec 5-9
Pets in Prisons
Toby Young of Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program outlines the best types of
programs to help homeless pets and prison inmates prepare together to
rejoin society!
Introduction from Toby Young:
Prison dog programs fill two very important social needs. They provide
a safe place for homeless dogs to live and they give inmates an
opportunity to learn responsibility and accountability. Every dog has
the potential to be a wonderful pet. But most of the big dogs, or plain
dogs, or active dogs, are passed over for the cute little puppies who
eventually grow up into big dogs, plain dogs or active dogs that end up
at animal shelters.
With someone's undivided attention and love, these unwanted dogs
blossom into wonderful, well-mannered pets that are easily adopted. The
effect on the inmates is even more profound. For those who believe that
prison should be a place for punishment, prison dog programs probably
have little appeal. But in reality, 90 percent of inmates are
eventually released from prison, so viewing prisons as a place of
rehabilitation is a much more realistic option.
Many inmates have never had the opportunity to learn responsibility.
One of my dog handlers stated it perfectly when he said that, until the
prison dog program, he had never been responsible for anything in his
whole life, not even a plant. No creature had ever depended on him.
Learning responsibility for another being is one of the first steps in
becoming a legitimate member of society.
Starting a prison dog program requires two simple things: a warden who
is committed to the program and a volunteer who is able to spend
significant amounts of time managing the program. I have never worked
so hard on anything; at the same time, I have never felt so worthwhile
and significant in my whole life. Working with the dogs and with the
inmates is definitely a project worth pursuing.
Bio for Toby Young:
Toby Young is the founder and president of the Safe Harbor Prison Dog
Program in Lansing, Kansas. The program started in August 2004 with
seven dogs. Since that time, more than 850 dogs have entered the Safe
Harbor program. At any given time, Safe Harbor has 75 dogs living
inside the Lansing Correctional Facility.
The dogs live 24/7 with their inmate dog handlers and are
house-trained, obedience-trained and socialized before being taken out
to adoption fairs. Many of the dogs receive their CGC (AKC's Canine
Good Citizen) certification before leaving the prison. The Safe Harbor
Prison Dog Program may be the only program in the country that has dogs
in all levels of security: minimum, medium and maximum.
This program benefits the inmates by teaching them a sense of
responsibility and accountability. For more information, please visit
http://www.SafeHarborPrisonDogs.com
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