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Puppies Behind Bars
Project Goal
$75,000.00

Description of the problem:


Prison inmates need to be given opportunities throughout their incarceration that allow them to take initiative, become educated, assume responsibility, work in a team environment and most importantly, feel human again.  Employment is a critical component of successful re-entry into society for ex-offenders and education and increased self-esteem must be its precursor.  It is imperative that we give inmates opportunities while in prison to learn trades so that they can find employment upon their release, thus aiding in reducing recidivism rates.

In addition, a high demand exists for raising puppies to become working dogs.  Because a dog is not mature enough to be formally trained until he turns two years old, it is necessary to provide the pup with love, socialization and basic obedience so that it has a better chance of becoming a working dog. 

Puppies Behind Bars fulfills the need for inmates to do something constructive and meaningful with their time behind bars by providing them with the opportunity to raise working dog puppies, creating a win-win scenario.

Description of the project/solution:


Puppies Behind Bars trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for the handicapped and explosive detection canines for law enforcement agencies.  The puppies live in prison with their “puppy raisers” from the age of eight weeks to eighteen months.  As the puppies mature into well-loved, well-behaved dogs, their raisers learn what it means to contribute to society rather than take from it.  In addition, inmates gain job-related, marketable skills that hopefully will help them find employment upon their release.  The PBB program qualifies as vocational training by the New York State Department of Corrections.
Inmates volunteer for the program (in addition to their mandatory prison jobs) and are completely responsible for all aspects of caring for, and training, the puppies.  Once inmates pass the screening and are interviewed by PBB staff, they must adhere to a stringent curriculum, they must come together as a team working toward a unified goal and, what is most important, they become primary caretakers for a live being totally dependent upon them.

After a year of basic obedience training and socialization, the dogs are tested and if they pass, begin formal training.  The inmates, although saddened by their separation have undertaken a serious responsibility and stuck with it; they have acted as loving caretakers dedicated to the dogs’ well-being; they have learned to work together as a team to achieve a common goal; they have experienced the uplifting possibilities of giving and receiving unconditional love; and they are showing themselves and society that even though they have made serious mistakes in their lives, they are still capable of contributing to society, rather than taking from it. 

Currently, PBB has 142 working dogs in the field — sixty-three of our dogs lead their blind users through city streets and down country roads, preserving their sense of independence and dignity.  Seventy-nine PBB-raised dogs work daily with law enforcement agencies to make our cities safe and nine others have bettered the lives of blind children by functioning as companion and therapy dogs.

Amount that Channel G seeks to raise in order to help the organization achieve its goals:

The annual budget for Puppies Behind Bars is approximately $900,000 for 2006. The $75,000 Channel G fundraising goal will be allocated towards the cost of raising puppies in prison which includes food, crate, bowls, veterinary visits, medication, spay/neuter, transportation and inmate education.  We have over eighty puppies in our program.