|
|
| Prison pups serve those who served |
| By usatoday.com |
| Published: 11/11/2009 |
|
OTISVILLE, N.Y. — The state prison here sits among green rolling hills in southern New York. It is a medium-security prison, so it's not unusual to see inmates in green prison garb shuffling from one building to another. What is surprising is to see an inmate walking his dog. Gilbert Molina, serving 15 years to life for a 1991 murder, is a dog trainer in Puppies Behind Bars, a program that prepares dogs to work as aides to disabled veterans. This fall, Molina, 38, is wrapping up 20 months of training with his latest pup, Faith. As they amble down a long hill along a chain-link fence topped by razor wire, he praises Faith: "That's a good girl, mama. That's a good girl!" Soon they'll have to say goodbye. Faith is going to Colorado, where she'll meet James Kent, who has been battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since he returned from Army tours in Iraq and Afghanistan four years ago. For former soldiers such as Kent, who are imprisoned by disabilities, and for inmates such as Molina, imprisoned by past deeds, the program offers new hope. Molina and Faith have been together since April 2008, when she was a "little snot-nosed, 8-week-old puppy," he says. She is the third dog Molina has trained. He has decorated his cell with pictures of her and the others. Since 1997, when former youth services official Gloria Gilbert Stoga read about a similar program and decided to copy it, Puppies Behind Bars has run 600 puppies through the program and placed about 350 into working service. It started out training dogs for the blind but now prepares them to help disabled veterans or work for police agencies sniffing for bombs. Read More. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think