Puppies Behind Bars works most commonly with Retrievers but will incorporate other breeds when possible. They assign a pup to a prisoner for sixteen months, allowing the prisoner to basically foster the dog, living with the animal in their cells as primary raisers and take them to special training classes once a week. The pups are also “furloughed” two or three weekends a month to be able to spend time in homes with “puppy sitters” and get exposure they can’t experience in prison but will become extremely common when they are placed permanently. Once the pup has completed its training, it is determined if their disposition is best as a service dog for a disabled or otherwise wounded veteran or as an explosive detection canine for law enforcement. The pups often go on to more training after their initial prison stay, but on the off chance that the dog is not suited for either work, they are given to families with blind children, to act as seeing eye companions.
No matter what, these pups are doing remarkable things for every human with whom they come into contact.
You can learn more about Puppies Behind Bars here: http://www.puppiesbehindbars.com/.
