Some Pender County prisoners are taking part in a New Leash on Life. Inmates spent the past eight weeks training homeless dogs that a local animal shelter rescued. Thursday marked the one year anniversary of the program, and saw the graduation of four more dogs.
Ralph was a homeless dog and was going to be put to sleep. But thanks to inmates at the Pender County Correctional Institution, Ralph is now going to a loving home.
"We had to put our pets down, we lost both of them within a two week period, so Ralph is really going to rescue us,” said Debbie Black.
Seven inmates have spent the past several weeks training Ralph and three of his buddies to be good dogs, helping them with obedience and a few new tricks.
It's part of a program called New Leash on Life which is made possible through Monty's Home, a non-profit organization.
"It’s about taking a dog, who's chances are very slim at the time...second chance. I like this program cause that's what it's about,” said Maurice Parker, Ralph’s trainer.
Today, the dogs, which are all named after the characters from "Happy Days", got their graduation diploma.
This is the fifth class of dogs to graduate, marking one year since the program started. Previous graduates attended the ceremony to visit their trainers.
These dogs were saved; millions more in shelters hope they get just as lucky.
"There’s enough homeless dogs in the world right now, that if we never bred another dog, there would be plenty to go around. People just need to open up their hearts, and go out there and find the dog for them at the shelters and through the rescues, and save a dog's life,” said Barbara McNinch of Monty’s Home.
For more information on this program, you can visit Monty's Home online.
The more humane way
In addition to this program there be additional programs along the same lines that would improve the county as a whole. Why not train some of the dogs as attack or police dogs and use the prisoners that are the most likely to be repeat offenders.
Later on in the line of work the dogs will already know who they are trained to deal with, (once the dogs are working and the prisoners have served the reduced term they all get these days.)
Other problems can be addressed as well. Prisoner costs to the county as well as the cost of expensive pound facilities for unwanted animals. Why pay for the upkeep of animals that have had their chance at adoption? Why feed the prisoners meat that in these days rivals the quality of meals in the average household? They screwed up, why should we treat them better than the average family. Besides, have you ever stopped to think what actually is in a chicken nugget that you drive-thru and pay for? Don't forget that when the minimum wage went up recently it caused the price of the average family meal to almost double to buy unless you shopped and cooked at home.
Kill two birds with one stone, kinda sorta.
These prisoners shouldn't be sitting around playing and training nice dogs when they are not pumping iron in the prison gym unless they are the LEAST likely to ever go back to prison.
I would like to also add, why are we paying for facilities like exercise areas and equipment in prison were the repeat offender can work on becoming a stronger opponent to the average criminal victim when they get out of prison after the reduced sentences they serve? Give a PB-n-J without the J and lock 'em in a cell and call it a day.
How many 90lb. weaklings rape elderly women and/or beat up on the wives again that got them into jail in the first place? We don't know since it hasn't been tried yet.
re; the more humane way
If all your secrets were revealed to the world,they would make you sorry for being so judgemental. Alot of the prison population have mental health issues that this wonderfull world of Mcnuggets you want to keep from them caused. It saddens me that such self-rightious , judgemental people as the you are aloud to get j on their pb&j sandwiches. A lil less jelly and more peanut butter and maybey you will choke and be humbled a little bit by realizing how fast you could be gone and how inimportant you and your murmerings of opinionated judgement are in the realm of eternity and the universe we ALL live in .
helping dogs with the help of inmates
I think this is great.It brings out the good in the dogs and the inmates working with these animals.Good job!!!!
Dogs trained by prisoners
Before long, security cameras at Harris Teeter and Food Lion will record mutts racing out the door with standing rib roasts...
I'm not a fan of yours
I'm not a fan of yours generally, but I have to admit, that's pretty funny.
Beginning in December,
Beginning in December, Felons will no longer be able to live at the same residence as a dog over 15 lbs. What will happen to this wonderful program then. Isnt the county jail considered their residence while they are serving time there. So this means no dogs over 15 lbs on that property. (Just another stupid law to send more dogs to shelters).
Umm, no
First of all, it isn't the county jail, it's a State prison. And no, prison is not considered a residence for inmates, and even if it were, the inmates do not cohabitate with the animals, they only visit them for a few hours a day on another yard of the prison.
Don't allow your pessimism to blind you.
The program
Actually, the dogs live in kennels that were built on the prison grounds and are trained and worked with all day everyday by the prisoners.
They live there for 8 weeks.
I work within this program and have heard nothing about a new law such as the one listed above. I'm pretty sure we would have heard this by now if it were true.
www.montyshome.org for more info.
Great idea, great program
Hopefully taking part in the habilitation of these dogs, which were so close to meeting their own demise, will give these inmates some inspiration and the drive to do the same with their own lives. All the while giving these animals, which have just as much of a right to life as any other being on our planet, a second chance.