|
|
| WHCC trained dogs support veterans through partnership |
| By Wyoming Department of Corrections |
| Published: 02/09/2012 |
|
Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp in Newcastle, Wyo., dog training plays a vital role in supporting offender programming and social skill learning. Started in November 2008 in Weston County, Wyo., Project L.O.V.E.D (Lost Orphaned Valued Exceptional Dogs) is a partnership between the Weston County Humane Society and the WHCC. The project benefits both WHCC and the community and has graduated almost 100 dogs during that time. But now, the hard work of the inmates involved in the training are supporting a program in Denver that provides life assistance dogs to veterans who are transitioning from active duty and combat to civilian life. Operation Freedom, a partnership developed between Freedom Service Dogs and the United States Veterans Administration, uses trained canines from programs like Project L.O.V.E.D to pair a person living with a disability, such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or a spinal cord injury, with a highly trained dog. Professionally trained service dogs assist their human partners with a variety of tasks including retrieving and carrying objects, opening and closing doors, operating lights, pushing 911 and lifeline buttons, provides brace and balance while walking, and other specialized tasks needed by the client. The twelfth Project L.O.V.E.D canine graduated on Dec. 10 from the additional training course at Freedom Service Dogs and was ready to be adopted to identified service members of Operation Freedom. Project L.O.V.E.D partners humane society dogs with adult inmates from WHCC. The dog lives with the primary handler in their room. The dogs learn basic training such as being housebroken, crate trained, and learning sit, stay, heel, loose lead as well as other commands. “It has been a fantastic partnership for all those involved,” Neela Beardsley, Weston County Humane Society director, said. “And it has had such a positive impact on both the inmates and dogs.” This training makes the dogs more appealing to potential adopters and helps ease the transition for the dog between shelter life and life in a new home. For the inmates who participate, the program utilizes Human-Animal association and different disciplines involved in these associations to give inmates positive measurable gains in the following areas, vocational skills, anger management, decision-making, and responsibility. The program also helps to enhance written skills through journaling and maintaining a daily log, participation by inmates in classroom and hands on instruction, improve parenting skills through realizing the effectiveness of positive reinforcement and provide an opportunity for inmates. “It’s really a win-win situation for both our organizations,” Beardsley said. “It helps the inmates with their confidence and patience among other things and it makes our dogs more adoptable.” |
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