Celebrating our four-legged friends and companions, the incarcerated individuals at Pleasant Valley State Prison shared their love of pets during National Dog Day on Aug. 26.
In a collaboration with the prison, Wiley’s Wish and the Veterans Transition Center of California work to rehabilitate and socialize shelter dogs for adoption.
What had started on a single facility at Pleasant Valley State Prison has expanded to other yards and now includes some 17 dogs in the program. In addition, the program has placed 16 dogs in homes, including one as far away as Massachusetts.
“Incarcerated handlers provide rehabilitation, skills and love to dogs rescued from shelters. While helping save the dogs, the handlers are learning about responsibility, teamwork, team building, communication and rebuilding family relationships. This helps in their own rehabilitation,” said one of the program liaison trainers.
Submitted by Lt. J.L. Martin
Trainers on National Dog Day at Pleasant Valley
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