DAWG Days

Ann Gingell needed a dog.

Her daughter’s eighth birthday was approaching and the St. Joe Beach resident needed to fulfill a birthday wish, a canine companion.

Madi, Ann’s daughter, had already suffered through a tease of ownership and badly wanted a dog of her own, to bring into the family’s brood, which already included a small terrier.

A dog was the present she wanted and was promised by her mom and dad, Rob.

“There was a dog that ended up on our front door step and it had no tags and we didn’t know who the owner was,” Ann said. “We promised that if the dog was claimed, we would get her another one.

“When that dog was claimed she was heartbroken.”

Not for long.

Ann revved up her computer and began to surf for potential dog adoption opportunities. She happened upon the site celebrating the St. Joseph Humane Society’s Developing Adoptable Dogs With Good Sociability (DAWGS) in Prison program and found just the ticket; Amber, a breed of deer hound.

And five days later, Amber had a new name – Madi liked Taylor – and a new home where she was already putting her instincts to work herding the Gingell’s terrier around in the back yard.

“(Amber) is still a little shy but she is doing better,” Ann said. “She is a cutie. She’s wagging her tail nearly all the time and playing with our other dog.

“Madi was so excited. Rob went with me when I picked her up from school and she was so happy. All the neighbor kids came out to see (Amber) when we got home. Madi loves her.”

That would bring to 72 the number of successful graduates from the DAWGS in Prison program, which is the result of a partnership between the Humane Society, the county and Gulf Correctional Institution.

“This joint collaboration has been successful for the past 18 months,” said Sandi Christy with the Humane Society. “This is good for the inmates and it is good for the dogs.”

The former is borne out in the fact that the Florida Department of Corrections recently recognized DAWGS in Prison as an official re-entry program – meaning it is perceived by the DOC has providing inmates with skills that will assist with their transition to become a productive member of society.

The benefits for the inmates are also quantifiable. Forty-four inmates have transitioned up the chain of command from caretaker – essentially charged with keeping the dog after training hours – to trainer and there are now 12 team leaders, the top rung of the group that provides the training, love and care for the dogs during the eight-week course.

One hundred and seven inmates have participated in the program over the past 18 months and 79 completed at least one full eight-week class.

“We have a high percentage of inmates who have improved all the way to the top,” said Christy.

In addition, several inmates have transitioned out of the program and prison, into jobs working with animal shelters, veterinarians or other dog or animal related positions.

“The dogs are not the only ones who benefited from this program,” said assistant warden Doug Sloan. “The inmates will benefit by the qualities, values and learning skills they obtained in the program and those skills will be with them when they re-enter their lives.”

And a survey of inmates who have participated in the program – inmates must apply and be screened for commitment, skills and compassion before being accepted into the program – also reveals subtler, but more substantive benefits.

“I’ve learned much about patience and tolerance,” wrote one inmate.

Another wrote, “My heart is unlocked for the first time in 25 years after I had learned to carefully guard it. I know now I have the capacity to love.”

Benefits for the dogs – which are also carefully screened for sociability and aptitude and receptiveness to training – are obvious.

These are shelter dogs, unwanted or unloved in some cases, too much of a financial burden in others. The future, once bleak, now includes a new home and family to love.

In its 18 months the DAWGS in Prison program has successfully placed more than 70 dogs in 12 states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Last week’s graduating class included four dogs ready for the transport north to new homes in New England.

Another was adopted by a reporter from the Palm Beach Post who was doing a feature story on the adoption process and the DAWGS program.

Dogs have been trained which will be companion and service dogs. Two dogs in the most recent graduating class were trained alongside two cats housed at the Humane Society in order that the dogs are comfortable and sociable in their new homes where they will join feline pets.

And in the final analysis, that is what DAWGS in Prison is about: creating an environment and training module that creates connections, ties that can bind for years.

“We are so excited, we have a bag full of stuff for this dog,” said Holly Jones of Bay County, who had read about DAWGS in Prison on the Internet and was searching for a dog for her 2-year-old. “We’ve been trying to find a dog for about six months. We wanted to adopt one and we wanted a small dog for my child.

“I came out and met (Pluto) and he was perfect. This is a great program.”

Place in box: see photo gallery of the DAWGS in Prison graduation at www.starfl.com