MO Shelter Dogs Program
A new prison program at the Western Missouri Corrections Center in Cameron pairs prisoners with shelter dogs, with the goal of rehabilitating both canines and inmates. Story and video available from Fox 4 KC.
The program has inmates training the dogs to make them more adoptable. Officials with the prison say that the program has been successful at the six other prisons across the state, and the prisoners, normally surrounded by barbed wire and guards, are often changed by the experience.
On Tuesday, inmate Charles Johnson met his new dog, Molly. Many of the dogs, like Molly, have had a rough past, which is something that many of the inmates know well.
“Molly was abandoned by the side of a road by her owner as a pup,” said Johnson. “She’s had to fight it out with wild dogs to eat until she was rescued by the shelter.”
The program, called Puppies for Parole, began at the prison on Tuesday. Inmate Joseph Perou says that he was involved in the program at the prison in Jefferson City before being transferred to Cameron. He says that have dogs in prison changes the atmosphere.
“Not only is it a way to productively pass our time, but also a way to impact the community in which we’ve taken so much from winding up in the position we’re in here today,” said Perou. “Just the thought of being able to give back is rewarding.”
“You will see tears shed from he toughest of guys, I promise,” said Perou. “It’s great. I’m really excited.”
Director of the Department of Corrections George Lombardi wants to see the Puppies for Parole program in every prison in the state. He says the inmates bond with an abused or neglected dog, because often they can relate.
“If you open up the files of inmates, frequently that is an issue, psychological, sexual, abuse, abandonment, neglect,” said Lombardi, who says that the program gives inmates a chance to prove that they’re more than just a prisoner.
“Here’s a dog that accepts love from them and gives it back unconditionally,” said Lombardi. “(It) has no idea what the person came to prison for, just treats them as a human being.”
The Puppies for Parole program, which is funded entirely through private donations, is set to begin at a prison in St. Joseph on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a wonderful program,” said Johnson. “It will do as much for the offenders as it does for the dogs we save.”
For more information about the Puppies for Parole program, check out http://doc.mo.gov/division/dai/puppies.php.
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