Training Rescue Dogs as Service Dogs for Veterans

"A chance at redemption, to right some of the wrongs in their life"

Canines With a Cause has been training dogs in the local state prison for over four years, the dogs live and train with inmates. Prison based dog training programs not only benefit the organization and keep training cost effective, they also benefit the inmate handlers. 

There is never a moment a dog is left without a human companion. This 24-7 approach is what makes prisoners the ideal trainers, ordinarily, that kind of round-the-clock attention would cost thousands of dollars.

But really, the training goes both ways.

 "Having him here with us every day, it gives us a reason to wake up every morning. It lets us know we're not total failures. It lets us know we can heal."

Women who have committed crimes of passion learn patience and impulse control. Women who lied and stole and cheated learn to trust and be trusted. Women who took the lives of others learn compassion and care.

"I wanted to prove that I could take care of something other than myself," said Sawsan Whitelaw, who is training a small boxer-pit bull mix named Glory. Whitelaw, who is serving an indeterminate prison term of five years to life after pleading guilty to murder in 2002.

Corrections Capt. Maryann Reding said the change in the prison has been palpable: The cellblocks where the dogs live have been better behaved; there's a joy and lightness in the air wherever the animals go; hardened criminals get down on hands and knees to play with the dogs, while guards stop by the cells to help or say hello.

"It has done a lot of good for their self-esteem and sense of self-worth," she said. "It lets them care about something more than themselves for a while."

CWAC will be expanding the prison training programs to other states this year including Idaho and Nevada. Incarcerated veterans are training dogs for other veterans in Carson City and gaining important vocotional skills. A win for everyone.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Cathy

Links:

• interview with prison trainers

According to US Congress Joint Economic Committee Chairman’s Staff, Senator Bob Casey, “more than 1.4 million veterans are living below the poverty line, and another 1.4 million veterans are living just above it.” The conclusion of this report reiterates education, and use of creative means toward gaining education, as a critical factor for the economic success of military veterans suffering from PTSD and Depression.

The mission of Canines With a Cause (CWAC) is to create sustainable programs and processes to effectively and holistically pair combat veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with well-trained service dogs.  By adhering closely to our mission, CWAC with trainers and canines move Veterans from a state of PTSD toward a state of Post-Traumatic-Growth (PTG).

By committing to positive “growth,” we become one (of many) step(s) on the soldier’s’ path toward healing and more importantly we are able to develop creative-individualize training solutions that meet the mental, emotional and most especially the economic-stability challenges veterans face today.

CWAC is proud to announce the expansion of our lifesaving programs to Northern Nevada. We are partnering with PetNetwork Humane Society in Incline Village, Warm Springs Correctional Institute and the Reno VA. The inmate trainers at Warm Springs are veterans.

Over the past eight years, CWAC has developed a successful template based upon assessing/training dogs in the Utah State Women's Prison and placing them with veterans through the Salt Lake City VA and local Vet Centers. Free training is provided for veterans to give them skills to train their dogs to service or assistant status. The training also helps them cope with PTSD (based upon research from the National Institute for Veteran Studies at the University of Utah) and transition back to family life including; returning to the workplace and/or college or trade school.

This means more dogs will be rescued from shelters and find loving homes with purpose, more veterans will receive dogs and training enabling them to move forward with their lives in a positive manner, and more incarcerated men and women will give back and receive needed vocational skills.

A win-win-win for all.

Thank you for your ongoing support, it's because of you we can make this happen.

Sincerely,

Cathy

Links:

• website