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| Dog Program at WHCC Inspires Inmates to Give Back |
| By The State of Wyoming Department of Corrections |
| Published: 12/07/2013 |
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A pizza fundraiser held this past August at The Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp (WHCC) raised a total of over $400 for the Weston County Humane Society. The event was sponsored by WHCC’s Horticulture Club. Club officials said their group chose to donate to the Humane Society because of their participation in Project LOVED, a program that gives WHCC inmates hands-on experience in training dogs from the animal shelter. Horticulture Club President Brandon Hermes and Vice President Bryce Cowen are inmates at WHCC who have been involved with Project LOVED since 2011. They both said they have seen the positive effect of the dogs on the inmate population and in their own lives. “Project LOVED is the best program that DOC has given me the chance to get involved in,” said Hermes. “I’ve had to learn both verbal and nonverbal skills and how to deal with frustration due to the fact that the dog won’t listen if you are angry,” Hermes said, adding, “It also gives us social skills when you are working the dogs; everyone likes to pet the dogs and it doesn’t matter if you like each other or not, the dog is a link between the two of us. It makes me talk to others that I would have never talked to without the dog, and that includes staff members.” According to Hermes, “One other part of the dog project is that we have to journal, and so that is another skill we have learned. We also get tested weekly on our training, so it teaches responsibility. And it teaches you to think about somebody else besides yourself; the dogs must go out, and they have to play and be taken care of.” The pizza fundraiser was held on August 16th, 2013.Over 100 pizzas (purchased from the Newcastle Pizza Hut) were sold to both inmates and staff, with a 10% markup going to the Humane Society. In addition, several inmates chose to donate directly to the charity, and a $100.00 donation was made from the Horticulture Club. The Humane Society said the money raised will be used to replace some of their agility equipment and to purchase training treats. This was the second fund raising event this year at WHCC. Earlier this year a sub sandwich sale was conducted to raise money for the Newcastle Greenway project. Providing inmates opportunities to give back to their community can be a helpful tool for offender rehabilitation, which is a key component in the overall mission of the Department. |
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