A dog from Texas County was the 250th adopted animal in the Missouri Department of Corrections’ “Puppies for Parole Program.”
Launched Feb. 1, 2010, the agency began the program at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and it has since spread to 14 other institutions.
A one-year-old female Border Collie named Faith recently become the 250th dog adopted.
Faith’s life before Puppies for Parole could be described as “rocky” at best. The Animal Shelter of Texas County (TASTC) received Faith from a man who pulled up in a truck and said he had a dog he no longer wanted. When shelter staff informed him that they would check and see whether they had space for Faith at the shelter, he immediately said that if they did not take the dog he would shoot her and leave her to die.
Faith showed signs of abuse and was very skittish, especially around men.
On Jan. 28, 2011, Faith arrived at South Central Correctional Center (SCCC) in Licking for training, as part of TASTC’s Healing Paws program (an offshoot of Puppies for Parole). The two offender handlers charged with the task of rehabilitating Faith said they used a lot of positive reinforcement to earn her trust.
The hard work and patience paid off, as Faith passed the Canine Good Citizenship Test on March 2, and was adopted by SCCC Institutional Activities Coordinator Tina Holland, who said Faith is “smart as a tack” and that she fell in love with the dog while watching her go through training.
“My daughter actually saw her and immediately wanted her,” Holland said. “Faith is the type of dog who just wants to please her owner.”
Puppies for Parole is the result of the DOC’s partnerships with animal shelters and animal advocate groups throughout the state. It pairs rescued dogs with offenders at prisons.
The dogs’ training consists of a two-month period in which they learn verbal commands and general obedience. The offenders and the dogs go through the rehabilitative process together. The culmination of the training is a graduation ceremony, during which the dogs are administered a Canine Good Citizenship Test they must pass.
Puppies for Parole does not receive state funding and is supported by donations only. In 2010, Puppies for Parole received the Governor’s Award for Quality and Productivity.
For more information about Puppies for Parole or the 250th adoption, log onto http://doc.mo.gov/division/dai/puppies_250.php.
Â