When inmates train dogs from Humane Society shelter, everyone wins
Helen DePinto says a program that allows inmates from the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility to train shelter dogs is a "win'' for everyone involved.
"(We) win, because our dogs are out getting trained,'' said DePinto, director of behavior programs at the Humane Society of Huron Valley. "The prisoners win because they're being productive.''
And when the dogs that have been through the training are adopted, their new owners benefit, too, "because we know so much more about the dog; it's not just been living in a shelter," she said.
Hercules, a pit bull terrier, will be one of the first graduates of the MI PAWS program.
Photo courtesy of the Humane Society of Huron Valley
The first class of dogs will graduate from the Michigan Inmates Providing Assistance Work & Service program on Dec. 15, and all 10 of them — varying in breed, sex and age — will be available for adoption beginning that day, DePinto said.
• Meet the first MI-Paws class here.
• Download an application for adoption here.
The 25 inmates at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility who have been training the dogs since Oct. 18. were screened "to make sure they would be good dog handlers" and educated in dog training prior to the program's start, DePinto said.
Karri Osterhout, acting deputy warden of programs, said 116 prisoners — about 15 percent of the prison's population — applied for the program and a long waiting list remains for would-be trainers.
To qualify, a prisoner must not have had a history of child, dependent or animal abuse or neglect, must have been "misconduct free" for at least the past year, must have earned a GED or high school diploma and must be at least two years away from her earliest release date, Osterhout said. Once selected for the program, the prisoners engaged in several weeks of classroom training, "hands-on training" with dogs and were made to take a written test.
Of the prisoners who applied, 65 met the necessary criteria.
Of the 25 participants, 10 are primary trainers, 10 are secondary trainers and five are "exercisers and handlers," Osterhout said. Each dog is assigned to a primary and a secondary trainer, who are cell-mates. The dog lives in the cell with its trainers and has its own bed, water bowl and toys, provided by the Humane Society.
Osterhout said there is always at least one person with the dog.
MI-Paws is modeled after programs at Lakeland Men's Correctional Facility and Florence Crane Correctional Facility in Coldwater. Similar programs can be found across the country, DePinto said.
By graduation, each of the dogs ideally will have been house-trained, learned basic commands, such as "sit," "down," "come," and "leave it," and be able to walk "nicely" on a leash, DePinto said.
She said the prisoners become the dog's "family'' and the dogs are not in cages. "Dogs aren't meant to live in cages," she said. "(After the program) they're going to be more adoptable."
A representative from the Humane Society and a dog trainer "from the outside" come to the prison every week to check on the dogs' progress and assist in training, Osterhout said. The prisoners keep journals documenting the dogs' temperament and likes and dislikes, which, Osterhout said, help make training more effective and will follow the dogs after they graduate to give people considering adopting one of the dogs a better understanding of each dog's personality.
Osterhout said the prisoners elected to use about $900 from the prisoner benefit fund to pay for some of the training books and pet gates that were needed. And some of the books were donated by the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative.
Osterhout said some of the prisoners had experience handling or training dogs and others just had a "knack'' for it.
"I've gotten some correspondence from the prisoners and they're excited about the program. It gives them an opportunity to nurture and they also feel it gives them an opportunity to contribute to the community," Osterhout said. "Most of them put their heart and soul into training."
DePinto said 10 more dogs will go from the Humane Society to the prison after the first class graduates.
The Humane Society will be accepting applications for adoption of the dogs who have completed the program and will schedule "meet and greets" between the dogs and prospective owners.
Anyone interested in meeting one of the dogs or learning more about pet adoption should contact Helen DePinto at 734-661-3513 or Helen@hshv.org.
Heather Lockwood is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heatherlockwood@annarbor.com or follow her on Twitter.
Comments
elephant
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
Human beings are also not meant to live behind bars. I hope that these doggies bring love into their trainers' world and help them see that there is a world of freedom and and love that is waiting for them when they leave. We all need help sometimes. Kudos to the women prisoners for extending your hearts to others even under these very difficult circumstances.
Atticus F.
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 : 9:46 a.m.
Adam, if you are an owner of 2 pit bulls, then you certainly should know about the breeds history, and that they were originally bred to be aggresive towards other animals. You should also know that pit bulls need to have a responsible owner and proper training, due to there size, strength, and potential to hurt someone. So please dont act as if caution towards a potentially dangerous animal is some sort of "misguided ignorance". Because if you think your pit bulls dont have the potential to hurt someone, then you are ignorant, dangerous, and could be held criminally liable if they do hurt someone.
alarictoo
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 : 9:24 a.m.
This is a pretty incredible program. My sister is the 'dog trainer "from the outside"' (she is also the originator of the program for MDOC), and my daughter and our family dogs have assisted with the program. As for @Dog Guy's concern about the pit bull terrier involvement in the program, I must share an anecdotal note. Hercules is such an "aggressive attack" dog that she cowers from, and submits to, our 7 lb. Long-haired Chihuahua, "Chica". (By way of comparison, Chica is scared of our family rabbit, and the squirrels in our yard.;^) ) Not only are the folks who are adopting these animals getting animals that have been well cared for, trained and socialized, but inmates are involved in a program that actively gives them a reason for staying out of trouble. This is a "no tolerance" program; one strike and they are out. And, as mentioned, approximately 15% of the population is on a waiting list hoping to get in the program. And, it's a 24-hour a day commitment (like a real pet) with the dogs living in the inmates' cells. The hardest part of the program is that after approximately 8 weeks the dogs "graduate" and leave to go be adopted by "forever families". So, this program is definitely a win-win.
AlphaAlpha
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:55 p.m.
Excellent idea. In our new age of economic austerity, could it be time to put most of our 'correctional volunteers' to good use? There are so many additional worthy projects, unfulfilled for lack of funding, perhaps this source of talent could be put to much greater use? It might even save a bit of tax money in the process.
Adam
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 5:15 p.m.
This is a great program and I couldnt agree with Liza more. Dog Guy, It is that type of short sighted, ignorant and stereotypical thinking that will continue to perpetuate people's poor attitudes toward these dogs. Perhaps you should rethink your moniker until youve enjoyed the company of one of these resilient animals. Proud (and responsible) owner of two rescued Pit Bulls.
Liza
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 3:46 p.m.
Guy Dog: I have a pit bull and she is the most wonderful, smart, affectionate dog I ever could have asked for. I understand that people have reservations, but so much of it is about training and environment. She went from sickly and terrified to a wonderful pet who makes every day better for me. I hope that people will consider adopting pit bulls more. This is a tremendous program for the women and the dogs.
Dog Guy
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 2:17 p.m.
Wonderful! Even wild dogs require training by the pack. I do have reservations about the pit bull terrier pictured: training cannot ommpletely erase generations of selective breeding for aggressive attack behavior.
Lorrie Shaw
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:49 a.m.
This program reveals the powerful connection of humans and animals. We all have the capacity for greatness, and this exemplifies that premise. I'm glad to see that there is another class of pooches that will be ready to go for training. :)
bedrog
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:35 a.m.
the HSHV is a truly state -of -the art facility with a great staff and huge crew of volunteers.
mkm17
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:23 a.m.
This is great! There is a program at a correctional facility in Iowa, in which inmates raise puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Puppies are raised for the first year of their lives and taught basic manners and commands. When the puppies are about 13 months old they are returned to Leader Dog for formal training. The overall graduation rate for Leader Dog puppies is about 50%, but the rate is much higher for the puppies from Iowa.
Chip Reed
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:48 a.m.
great program! "Dogs aren't meant to live in cages".
Indicat
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:12 a.m.
What a wonderful program! It's a win-win for both the inmates and the dogs. I hope all of the dogs from the first graduating class are quickly adopted into their forever homes.