Puppies Arrive at Duluth Prison
Posted at: 08/03/2012 6:14 PM
| Updated at: 08/03/2012 8:12 PM
By: Allie Delury
Two weeks ago, a shipment of puppies turned a negative environment, into a something much more "pawsitive."
A Twin Cities program called Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs, or PawPADs, has made it's way to the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth.
The prison expressed interest in the program after seeing it's success at the prison in Sandstone.
Enzo is one of four puppies at the prison. PawPADs got him and two other puppies from a breed rescue.
"Him and his two sisters were going to be shot," said Executive Director of PawPADs, Linda Ball.
Inmates will take two years to train Enzo into a disability dog to help diabetics and the physically handicapped.
"Through that program they're learning self-regulation, they're learning self control," said Ball.
Prison official Tim Rogers says the inmates were overwhelmed with emotion when the puppies arrived.
"It brought back a lot of memories for some of them...some of them have not seen dogs in ten, fifteen years," said Rogers, Public Information Officer for the prison.
Inmates will train Enzo everything from the basics, to flipping lights on and opening handicap-accessible doors. In two weeks, the puppies have already learned 15-20 commands.
Six more puppies are scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks.
PawPADs will be one of the re-entry programs prisoners can participate in, which Rogers says will help them develop empathy and compassion.
Something that unites the prison, PawPADs, the community, and puppies like Enzo.
"And to us, that's the positive thing," said Rogers.
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