Press Release for Immediate Publication
Contact: Amy Reitz, PAWS Shelter Manager, 512-268-1611
P.E.T.S. in Prison
Kyle Correctional Center and PAWS Shelter and Humane Society celebrated another successful P.E.T.S. (Pawsitive Education Training Solutions) in Prison program with a graduation ceremony at the prison on Friday, June 15. Ten dogs and twenty handlers participated in the graduation festivities which featured handlers showing off any tricks their dogs have learned above what they are trained in regular classes. The dogs were rewarded with new toys, a certificate of completion and then refreshments were served to guests and handlers. Before the graduation, four of the ten dogs had already been adopted. With the training they received, the remaining dogs are likely to quickly find new homes.
The P.E.T.S. in Prison program has been in place at Kyle Correctional Center since 2003. Kyle Correctional Center is an In-Prison Therapeutic Community and a Parole Modification facility which is committed to a philosophy that provides inmates with the education and employment skills they require for successful reentry into society. With the help of PAWS and the support of Warden Shirley, this program has touched more than 200 inmates’ and 75 dogs’ lives.
Dogs are selected from the PAWS Shelter and Humane Society for this program by professional trainer Rachel Daughn. Ms. Daughn chooses dogs that have behavioral issues that would limit their chances of being adopted. Kyle Correctional Center staff accepts applications from the inmates wishing to participate in the program. Each dog is assigned two handlers who share their cell with their dog. The class begins with a two week classroom course and then the six weeks of training begin with the trainer teaching weekly sessions in the prison.
The P.E.T.S. in Prison program offers these dogs a second chance at finding their forever home. PAWS has a 100% adoption rate with its cell dogs. Often a member of the handler’s family will adopt the dog the handler trained and will keep the dog until the handler is released and can take over caring for his dog.
A new training class will begin in early July with its graduation scheduled for August 31. Kyle residents are encouraged to come out to the graduation and see how their community is “pawsitively” changing lives. For more information on the P.E.T.S. in Prison program, contact Amy Reitz at PAWS at 512-268-1611 or a pawsshelter@verizon.net.
