Pups at the pen: local inmates making time count

(("HELPING THEM HELPED
MYSELF."))
ALL NEW AT 6, HOPE IN AN
UNLIKELY PLACE. A NEW PROGRAM IN
ERIE COUNTY PAIRS FEMALE INMATES
WITH ABANDONED DOGS. THE HOPE?
THEY'LL HELP REHABILITATE EACH
OTHER.
THE PROGRAM..."PUPS AT THE PEN"
STARTED IN JULY AND ALREADY,
ORGANIZERS SAY IT'S MAKING AN
IMPACT.
NEWS 4'S JENN SCHANZ GOT TO SEE
HOW IT WORKS AT THE ERIE COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IN ALDEN.
JENN?
CONCRETE CELLS, BARBED WIRE,
GUARDS? IT DOESN'T REALLY SOUND
LIKE AN IDEAL PLACE FOR A
PUPPY.... BUT IT TURNS OUT, FOR
CERTAIN PUPS... IT'S THE PERFECT
PLACE. PUPS AT THE PEN IS A
PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE ERIE
COUNTY SPCA AND THE ERIE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I GOT A CHANCE
TO MEET WITH SOME INMATES
INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM, AND SEE
FOR MYSELF WHY IT WORKS.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, BELLINA AND
ANDY WOULDN'T DARE LEAVE THEIR
CRATES... LET
ALONE ALLOW SOMEONE TO PET THEM.
THE SHY LITTLE HOUND MIXES WERE
FOUND ALONE AND STARVING IN A
BARN.
(("THEY WOULD COWER... NOW THEY
LET US HOLD THEM AND TOUCH THEM,
SO THEY'VE COME A REALLY LONG
WAY.")) THE PUPS' FRESH START?
BEHIND BARS.
(("THEY NEED US, AND WE HAVE
ENOUGH TIME, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE
PLENTY OF TIME, TO GIVE THEM THE
TIME THAT THEY NEED.")) THE PUPS
AT THE PEN PROGRAM IS RUN
THROUGH THE ERIE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S
OFFICE AND THE ERIE COUNTY SPCA.
(("IF THERE'S DOGS IN THE KENNEL
THAT ARE FRIGHTENED, THEY GET
FRIGHTENED. AND SOME DOGS ARE
OKAY, THEY ADJUST AFTER A FEW
DAYS, EVERYTHING'S FINE, THEY
DON'T MIND BEING IN A CONFINED
SPACE AND GETTING TAKEN OUT TWO
OR THREE TIMES A DAY, THAT
DOESN'T SEEM TO BOTHER THEM. AND
THEN YOU HAVE OTHER DOGS THAT
JUST COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN."))
FOR THOSE DOGS, GETTING ADOPTED
IS AN EVEN BIGGER CHALLENGE. A
PLACE
LIKE THE ERIE COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY OFFERS THE
LEVEL OF ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING
DOGS LIKE ANDY AND BELLINA NEED.
THE INMATES NORMALLY ONLY GET A
FEW DOGS TO WORK WITH AT A TIME.
THE
TRAINING LASTS SIX WEEKS. AFTER
WHICH, BOTH THE INMATES AND
THEIR PUPS GRADUATE.
(("THEY HAVE THE WOMEN THERE
THAT LOVE THEM, THE COS LOVE
THEM. AND THEY GET A LOT OF
INTERACTION AND CONTACT TIME,
AND IT'S VERY GOOD FOR THEM."))
IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR THE INMATES,
LIKE
KAREN CARTER.
(("IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
YEAH, BECAUSE I USED TO JUST
COME TO JAIL AND SLEEP. THAT'S
WHAT I DID, I DIDN'T SOCIALIZE
WHATSOEVER AND NOW I SOCIALIZE
AND AN OFFICER, SOMEBODY I KNOW
VERY WELL TOLD ME MY HEART GREW
TWO SIZES SINCE I'VE BEEN
ON THE DOG UNIT.")) THIS TIME
AROUND, CARTER HAS DONE A
LOT LESS SLEEPING... AND A LOT
MORE TRAINING.
(("WHEN I FIRST CAME, SHE WAS
GRUMPY AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.
I MEAN NEVER RUDE, BUT SHE WOULD
HANG BACK AND HANG BACK.
AND AS THIS PROGRAM HAS
PROGRESSED, SHE'S COMPLETELY
CHANGED.")) SHE'S FORMED A
SPECIAL BOND WITH ANDY. FROM
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FEEDING TO
WAKING UP EARLY TO LET HIM OUT,
ANDY HAS BECOME PART OF HER
EVERY DAY
ROUTINE... AND SHE SAYS IT'S
MADE DOING TIME MEANINGFUL.
(("WHEN THEY CAME HERE THEY WERE
SO MALNUTRITIONED AND THEY
NEEDED LOVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN? AND HELPING THEM HELPED
MYSELF." "HOW DID IT HELP YOU?"
"BECAUSE I NEEDED LOVE AS
WELL.")) CARTER'S TRAINING WILL
ALSO SERVE ANDY WELL WHEN IT
COMES TO FINDING A
HOME.
(("NEWLY GRADUATED ANDY WILL NOW
HEAD BACK TO THE SPCA, FRESHLY
TRAINED. SO FAR ALL OF THE DOGS
THAT HAVE GONE
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM HAVE BEEN
ADOPTED."))
(("THEY REALLY DO GET ATTACHED
TO THE DOGS.")) SGT. DEANNA
LATES SEES A BENEFIT TO THE
PROGRAM FROM A CORRECTIONAL
STAND-POINT. THE WOMEN HAVE TO
APPLY TO BE PART OF THIS
PROGRAM.. AND MAINTAIN GOOD
BEHAVIOR TO STAY IN
IT.
(("ALL THE GIRLS WANT TO BE
THERE, SO THEY HAVE A LITTLE
MORE PRIVLEDGE AND THE MORALE
IN THAT UNIT SEEMS TO BE UP, AND
JUST BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH THE
DOGS SEEMS TO HELP THEM."))
(("IT FEELS GOOD TO KNOW
SOMEBODY'S DEPENDING ON YOU.
LIKE IF I DON'T GET UP IN THE
MORNING, THEY DON'T DON'T GET
FED. IT'S JUST A GOOD
FEELING.")) INMATE CHRISTINE
ALTMAN SAYS THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO
GIVEN HER SOME CAREER
ASPIRATIONS AFTER SERVING HER
TIME. SHE'S LIKE TO VOLUNTEER OR
WORK AT THE SPCA.
(("THEY'VE TURNED ME INTO A
SOFTY. LIKE I SAID, IT TEACHES
YOU EMPATHY, COMPASSION."))
EMPATHY, COMPASSION."))
KAREN CARTER WAS RELEASED FROM
THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY THE
DAY AFTER WE SHOT THIS STORY...
SO WERE ANDY AND BELLINA, AFTER
COMPLETING THEIR TRAINING. STAFF
AT THE SPCA TELLS ME IN KEEPING
WITH THE PROGRAM'S RECORD.....
BOTH PUPS HAVE FOUND FOREVER
HOMES.
IS THIS PROGRAM COMPETITIVE FOR
INMATES TO BE INVOLVED IN?
CORRECTIONAL STAFF SAYS YES....
YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN GOOD
BEHAVIOR TO STAY IN IT, AND
THERE IS AN APPLICATION
PROCESS.... CERTAIN VIOLENT
OFFENDERS WOULD NOT BE
ELLIGIBLE. ALL THE WOMEN
ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM
LIVE IN THE SAME POD SO THEY CAN

Pups at the pen: local inmates making time count

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