Louisiana inmates trained in shelter animal care

Torrance Hornsby holds Brittney 

ahead of the

dog’s examination.

Dixon Correctional Institute in East Feliciana Parish, has teamed up with the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine to train inmates in the daily care of shelter animals.

The LSU SVM Shelter Medicine Program services animal shelters and feral cat populations on prison grounds using one faculty veterinarian, a shelter medicine fellow, fourth-year veterinary students and trained and prison inmates. 

The Dixon grounds is home to Pen Pals, a no-kill animal shelter, that was constructed after the institute took in several displaced animals during Hurricane Katrina. 

Pen Pals is one of three prisons in the region that participate in LSU's shelter medicine program. Six prisoners work with, and learn from, LSU students. Since its opening in August of 2010, hundreds of dogs an cats have been adopted from the shelter.

Funding was provided by the Humane Society of the United States as part of a multimillion-dollar effort to improve the animal care infrastructure in Louisiana and Mississippi with, not only a holding facility and a clinic for basic animal care, but also a facility that could serve in future emergencies as an overflow shelter. 

For more information, read WITHIN PRISON WALLS - JAVMA News

2013 Innovation Showcase awarded Summit for Product or Service Innovation

Captain John Landry & Angela Poirier

A unique and thoughtful initiative developed through a collaborative effort between the Nova Scotia SPCA and the Nova Scotia Department of Justice has helped save the lives of dozens of shelter dogs and more than likely, a few prison inmates. 

Working On Our Future (WOOF) was first introduced to the Urban Animal Program during the 2013 Innovation Showcase at the Halifax Regional Conference. The program received 34% of ballots cast during the nomination process and was awarded the 2013 Summit award for Product or Service Innovation for developing a program which pairs dogs and offenders for social and behavioural development that achieves mutual benefit. The award, sponsored by Novartis, recognizes an innovative product or service that improves the quality of life for people and pets in homes, in communities or in industry sector(s). 

Program stakeholders Captain John Landry and Angela Porier with the N.S. Department of Justice were presented with the award at the 2013 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October. But when the 2013 Summit Awards Tour stopped in Halifax, additional collaborators were rallied to pay tribute to their efforts. 

Left to Right: Elizabeth Murphy (NS SPCA),
Captain John Landry (NS Dept. of Justice), Angela Poirier (NS
Department of Justice), Kristin Williams (NS SPCA), 
Sean Kelley (Director of Correctional Services),
Amy MacCrae (trainer)

Justice for All

In 2012, the Nova Scotia SPCA in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice launched an initiative aimed at saving the lives of dogs and people. This initiative is the first of its kind in Nova Scotia and a unique approach to using animals to provide therapy. 

Working On Our Future, WOOF, will see offenders and officers offsetting labour strain through volunteer programs and a new canine therapy program to assist both dogs and offenders mutually achieve goals of skill development and socialization. This program will help dogs with behavioral challenges become more adoptable and offenders develop skills to be more productive in society. As a result, adoption revenues will increase and labour strains devoted to training and animal care will be eased.

William Thompson, an inmate at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility told the Chronicle Herald, "To have the opportunity to work with the SPCA and learn some animal-related work skills is something I greatly look forward to. It also keeps me motivated to be a model inmate." 

When the 2013 Regional Conference Tour stops in Halifax on 18 April, Captain John Landry and trainer Amy MacRae will present the WOOF concept during the Regional Innovation Showcase. This initiative may be a candidate for a 2013 Summit Award. 

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