Lucky dogs The area’s Paws on ParoLe Program gives rescue PuPs

and Prisoners a second chance STORY bY LaRRY TRuOng

w h at do R e e bok , Nike, timberland, teva, durango and Skechers

have in common? besides being the names of sports shoe brands, they’re all furry and have tails.

these six dogs are part of the Paws on Parole program’s 18th class to be trained by jail inmates at the Gainesville Correctional Institution Work Camp, where, as the old saw goes, every dog has its day. Part of the success of the program comes from the cute names and clever themes the staff dream up to help place the dogs in “forever” homes. this year’s adoption theme tied in with getting fit as a New Year’s resolution.

the Paws on Parole program is a nearly three-year-old joint effort between the Florida department of Corrections and alachua County animal Services. It pairs six rescued dogs with six inmates at the Gainesville CI Work Camp. and with the assistance of profession-al dog trainers, the inmates become the dogs’ handlers and train them to pass the american kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test.

“the whole premise is giving the shelter [dogs] a second chance and the inmates a sec-ond chance,” says hilary hynes, program co-ordinator of Paws on Parole and public educa-tion program coordinator of alachua County animal Services.

hynes started the program in 2009 after she was approached by the Florida department of Corrections to create locally a prison dog pro-gram similar to ones which have been success-ful in improving inmate behavior and coopera-tion in other states.

after the dogs pass the Good Citizen test for obedience, they have a much greater chance of becoming adopted, she says. Since the program began, 102 dogs have “graduated,” and all of them have been adopted.

hynes says she credits the 100 percent adop-tion rate of the Paws on Parole dogs to the high appeal of adopting a certified obedient dog and the adoption themes she creates for each class of dogs. the first theme featured “wanted” post-ers with the pictures of each dog searching for a

home. eventually, the adoption themes also in-fluenced the names of each dog, such as ozzy osbourne, Cindy Lauper and Mick Jagger from the “Rolling bones” class.

“there has to be some science to it because we are 100 percent,” hynes says. “We get noth-ing but compliments from what we do. It’s fun. People look forward to it now.”

the dogs find loving homes and the handlers gain more confidence, responsibility and pa-tience through working with the dogs. they also learn a viable job skill that may help them when they are released, she says. Recently, she helped a released inmate get a job at the halifax

humane Society in daytona beach. “one of the inmates, before he was released,

trained 15 dogs,” she says. “he could become a dog trainer.”

each class lasts eight weeks and begins with the selection of trainable dogs from the shelter at alachua County animal Services. to be cho-sen, the dog has to pass a sociability and tem-perament test to ensure that it will get along with the other five dogs, hynes says.

From there, the dogs are taken to live at the Gainesville Correctional Institution Work Camp, a low-level security jail with more than 25 acres of land, located at 1000 Ne 55th blvd.

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above: SkecherS, a lab mix, jumpS to catch a ball thrown by 6-year-old vincent reiSch. at left: bernd Zoller playS with nike, a Shepherd mix.

Photos by brad Mcclenny

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The dogs are then matched with handlers — jail inmates who have volunteered for the position, shown good work ethic and have no history of domestic violence.

“The handlers learn how to care for the dogs in every aspect,” she says. “Training, grooming and feeding, they interact with the dogs seven days a week.”

Handlers must attend a two-hour class twice a week during the entire program and are giv-en dog-training books to read. The classes are taught by Anne Pantall and Ginger Adams, the volunteer training instructors of the Paws on Parole program.

Starting on the first day of training, each han-dler keeps a journal of his dog’s progress and personality. Eventually, the journal is given to whomever adopts the dog, so the new owner can pick up training where the handler left off, Hynes says.

The dogs are trained in basic obedience to the standards of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program. The program tests the dogs on 10 items that measure their temperament and obedience, including accept-ing a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, allowing itself to be groomed and examined, walking properly on a leash, walking through a crowd with good manners, sitting and staying,

coming when called, reacting calmly to other dogs and distractions, and maintaining good manners when separated from its owner.

“We do all positive training,” says Pantall, who is a certified professional dog trainer with more than 20 years of training and teaching experi-ence. “If you use punishment to train a dog, it ruins your relationship. Dogs want to be with someone who is fun to be with.”

She says the handlers are taught to reward the

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at top: MEMbERS oF paWS on paRoLE WitH inMatE tRainERS anD tHEiR DogS.abovE: a paWS on paRoLE voLUntEER coacHES tHE inMatES.at RigHt: a tRainER pLaYS WitH onE oF tHE DogS.

Photos courtesy of Paws on Parole

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dog if it does something they want to be repeated.“The most difficult thing for a dog to learn is walking nicely on a leash

without pulling. It’s not natural for them to walk next to a person,” says Pantall, who also helps create the adoption themes for the dogs.

However, Froggy, a year-old Boston Terrier-Pug mix, has made walking on a leash look easy to his new family since graduating from the program in December. Froggy was the 100th dog adopted out of the Paws on Parole

program. He and his classmates were named after the Little Rascals.“Purebreds are great, but it gives you more of a warm, fuzzy feeling when

you give a dog a home that doesn’t have one,” says Meghan Connelly, a Jacksonville resident who says she decided to adopt Froggy after stumbling upon Paws on Parole’s website.

“It’s also given me a sense of security to know that Froggy will behave around children and other people.”

how you can helpPaws on Parole is run strictly on dona-

tions from local pet stores, veterinarians offices and the Gainesville Dog Fanciers Association. With greater donations, the program’s 11 volunteers could help train more dogs in each class.

“We can always use more treats, toys and shampoo for the dogs, “ Hynes says. The program is always look for more volunteers to assist the inmates and handle the dogs on outings. To find out more about volunteer-ing or donating to Paws on Parole, contact Hilary Hynes at 352-264-6881. For more in-formation about the program or to find out how to adopt a dog from Paws on Parole, visit PawsOnParole.com.

Chris and Ulla Zoller of new York plaY with nike, a

shepherd mix.

meghan ConnellY with froggY.

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Photo courtesy of Meghan connelly

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Brad Mcclenny