Dawgs In Prison

News

CHECK OUT OUR AVAILABLE DOGS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE!!!
YOU MAY ALSO SEE OUR DOGS POSTED AT WWW.SJBHUMANESOCIETY.ORG
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CLASS 51: ADOPTED TO NJ, MASS., MD AND FL

DAWGS IN PRISON
      Our mission is to provide training and education for both inmate and dog, resulting in permanent homes for the dogs, viable job skills for the inmate, and productive jobs and a law-abiding life upon release.
 
 A QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR DAWGS INMATES, AFTER HE WAS RELEASED: " I woke up during my first year of the DAWGS program.   My attitude changed.  My routine changed.  My health changed.  My priorities changed.  Everything changed in my life in order for me to be responsible enough to take care of one of God’s precious creations. DAWGS gave me the wisdom to see what kind of changes were needed in my life in order to be a productive citizen again after a total of 26 years behind bars. "

 The St. Joseph Bay Humane Society is proud to announce its DAWGS in Prison program, a joint effort with Gulf Correctional Institution. The program was founded by Sandi Christy, Judy Miick, and Sue and Gary Gibbs, board members and volunteers, in 2009.
All of the dogs selected for this program go through an intense 8-week training session and live with their trainers, handlers and caretakers in a dormitory style work camp. These dogs have had an extensive temperament test and get along well with other dogs and people.

They are available for adoption immediately and will able to go to their forever homes with you after graduation. 

The dogs are all crate trained, house trained, and basic obedience trained. They can be expected to sit, stay, recall, down, heel, and respond to no and leave it. The dogs are also well trained on a leash. DAWGS dogs are up to date on all vaccines as well as spayed/neutered, microchipped and heartworm negative.

If you live out of the area, we can transport these graduates to the perfect home in New England, PA, NY, NJ, VA,MD and some parts of Florida.

We participate in Pets for Patriots, www.petsforpatriots.org and welcome applications from veterans!

The dogs featured on this website were trained for eight weeks at Gulf Forestry Camp under the direction of Gulf Correctional Institution in Wewahitchka, Florida by state inmates. These inmates were themselves trained by a professional dog trainer, in the hopes that they may find gainful employment in animal services when released from prison. Currently one of every three inmates released from the Florida prison system returns to prison within three years. Through programs like DAWGS, the Department of Corrections is focusing on teaching inmates viable job skills that will lead them to productive jobs and law-abiding lives upon release.   

If you are not ready to adopt, please think about fostering.  You can help these dogs keep up with their training and socialization which makes them more adoptable.  For more information on fostering or adoption, or with any questions, please email us at  [email protected].  
 
 
You can make a difference with your tax deductible donation to Dawgs in Prison.  We are in need of new crates as well as our ongoing needs of treats, leashes, collars and toys.
 
$150 will buy a new crate.
$100 will spay/neuter a dog
$75 will supply treats for all the dogs for a month
$50 will  pay for vaccines, medical supplies and medicine for a dog
$25 will buy leashes and collars 
 
Donations can be sent to:
 SJBHS DAWGS in prison
1007 10th Street
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
OR YOU CAN USE THE DONATE BUTTON ON THIS WEBPAGE
 
To adopt or foster one of our wonderful dogs, please fill out the application on this website. You can also read our success stories, highlighting our dogs living in their forever homes.
 
We look forward to hearing from you!
 
The DAWGS team
 
 
"When you adopt a dog, the whole experience is fraught with delightful unpredictability. Very little is certain--except, of course, that you will be giving him a better life. And he will be doing the same for you."
 
 
 
 
Ginger, from Class One, with her new owner, Thomas, in New England
 
Our adopted dogs are living happily in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont,  Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Massachusetts!



The founders of DAWGS in Prison

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DAWGS Founding Directors, 2009-2017, L to R
Judy Miick and Sandi Christy


MERLE, CLASS 10:
 NOW LIVING HAPPILY IN CONNECTICUT

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DAWGS CLASS 53