During the first season of Orange Is the New Black, Big Boo was given an attractive yellow lab puppy to raise by a fellow prisoner. “Little Boo” became an adorable and comical character in this program that depicts some of the terrible realities of incarceration…
Her tale was based on a Hollywood plot, but her time in jail was based on fact. Prisons and dog training groups throughout the nation are working together to bring inmates and pups together for skill-building and bonding.
It is one of the oldest and most well-known programs of its type, serving six Atlantic state prisons and attracting worldwide media attention.
PBB was founded in 1997 as a guide dog training program for the crippled and blind. Immediately after September 11, 2001, the program turned its attention to producing therapy dogs for combat veterans and explosion-detection canines for law enforcement purposes.
A puppy’s jailed handler spends almost two years with them. In jail, they are 8-week-old pups, but when they leave, they are well-behaved dependable dogs.
PBB isn’t the only time-consuming jail canine program out there. In many areas, jails and dog groups work together to provide inmates with more basic training.
The Marin Humane Society’s Pen Pals program pairs low-security offenders with rescue canines in need of rehabilitation at San Quentin State Prison in California. As the jailed males work with their dogs to build their confidence and teach them basic obedience skills, these pairs often last no more than six months.
When a partnership between the Missouri Department of Corrections and CHAMP Assistance Dogs, Inc was formed in Missouri, the two organizations created separate rescue dog and service dog training programs for women serving time. Both programs provide dogs with intensive training as “roommates” for the women.
What Happens to Dogs When They’re Sentenced to Prison for Dog People?
During the first season of Orange Is the New Black, Big Boo was given an attractive yellow lab puppy to raise by a fellow prisoner.
“Little Boo” became an adorable and comical character in this program that depicts some of the terrible realities of incarceration.
Her tale was based on a Hollywood plot, but her time in jail was based on fact. Prisons and dog training groups throughout the nation are working together to bring inmates and pups together for skill-building and bonding.
It is one of the oldest and most well-known programs of its type, serving six Atlantic state prisons and attracting worldwide media attention.
PBB was founded in 1997 as a guide dog training program for the crippled and blind. Immediately after September 11, 2001, the program turned its attention to producing therapy dogs for combat veterans and explosion-detection canines for law enforcement purposes.
A puppy’s jailed handler spends almost two years with them. In jail, they are 8-week-old pups, but when they leave, they are well-behaved dependable dogs.
PBB isn’t the only time-consuming jail canine program out there. In many areas, jails and dog groups work together to provide inmates with more basic training.
The Marin Humane Society’s Pen Pals program pairs low-security offenders with rescue canines in need of rehabilitation at San Quentin State Prison in California.
As the jailed males work with their dogs to build their confidence and teach them basic obedience skills, these pairs often last no more than six months.
When a partnership between the Missouri Department of Corrections and CHAMP Assistance Dogs, Inc was formed in Missouri, the two organizations created separate rescue dog and service dog training programs for women serving time. Both programs provide dogs with intensive training as “roommates” for the women.
The cell block’s animal welfare…
In the beginning, incarcerating an innocent canine among convicted, often violent criminals may seem like a risky move. There are screening and security procedures in place for both human and canine participation at all prison dog training programs.
For inmates to participate, they must submit an application and have a clean disciplinary record throughout their stay behind bars. If you’ve ever been accused of sexual assault or animal cruelty, you’re unlikely to be permitted to engage with the dogs.
As stressful as prison is for everyone, dogs being trained for service may benefit from the opportunity to concentrate on their attention and dependability.
Prison dogs, on the other hand, get one or two weekends of “furlough” every month, when they are allowed to stay with a family or dog sitter at a neighboring house.
In addition to serving as a vacation from prison life, these weekends also serve as further training for the dogs, exposing them to things they aren’t used to in jail such as doorbells, elevators, and vehicles. Prison canines are subjected to rigorous health and temperament checks as part of their training.
Prison dog programs aren’t only good for the canines and their future owners. As a result of their time with a dog, prisoners learn a great lot about themselves. While in jail, “prisoners may do something to contribute to society and feel better about themselves,” says Puppies Behind Bars creator Gloria Gilbert Stoga.
Training service dogs is both a duty and a reward. For those whose every day lives might be emotionally stressful and constrained, dogs give companionship, support, and a positive outlook.
Those who’ve put a dog through a basic obedience school know that it strengthens the relationship between humans and their pets, as well as provides them with the tools to live more harmoniously with one other.
Additionally, dog training helps inmates prepare for a future as a dog trainer, groomer, or veterinary assistant upon their release from jail.
“I’ve realized that I’m not as impatient as I thought I was,” a prisoner who has raised a service dog tells Time magazine. With this newfound ability, I’ve been given the choice of continuing my schooling in order to pursue the things that have given me a sense of purpose.”
Inmates who may one day return to society will benefit much from these life skills.
For some offenders, time behind bars will be their whole life, and dogs provide a crucial outlet for the energy and emotions that build up over time. convict called DeAngelo tells the Huffington Post, “The dogs have taught me the art of patience and the art of loving regardless of the circumstances that surround you.”
Dogs allow humans to feel and express love in a safe and constructive manner in an atmosphere where emotional openness is frequently seen as a weakness.
Canine friends have a profound effect on our mental health, happiness, and well-being. There are no exceptions when it comes to dogs in jail, and these programs allow both humans and animals to have more meaningful lives…
There is a parallel between animal shelters and prisons when it comes to rehabilitation: “We produce excellent dog citizens, and ideally they produce good human citizens…”
