Female inmates in Kentucky help train service animals while serving time

A program in Kentucky puts dogs in jail — but they’re there to learn how to be service animals, not to serve time.

The people providing that training are inmates.

The Kentucky Correctional Institute partnered with Paws with Purpose in 2004.

The program allows prisoners with good behavior to apply to help the organization get the puppies ready for service training.

“At four weeks of age, the puppies will go into the women’s prison, in the puppy program, we call it at the women’s prison. And they’re there with the mommy dog of course, and they start working on just a lot of little basic things even just to sit and to have good eye contact,” said Elaine Weisberg.

Paws with Purpose is one of only hundreds in the world accredited with Assistant Dogs International.

And it’s the only program in Kentucky.

But their real mission is placing these dogs with children or adults and even local healthcare facilities and schools.

“Could it be a nurse? It could be a physical therapist, occupational therapist, a teacher. We have a couple of art therapists that have our dogs that they incorporate into their clients’ care plan,” said Weisberg.

Although the pups spend the week in the institute, the weekends are where the action happens.

Volunteers will pick up the dogs for training sessions and real-world experiences.

One named Russ gets his experience at the UofL Hospital spreading lots of smiles along the way.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling uh to know that you’re making a difference in so many lives. The lives of the women in the prison that you’re able to support, the people that get the dogs,” Weisberg said.

Russ is set to graduate in a couple of months and will be matched with a facility then.

For the remaining time, he will continue his work at UofL Hospital.

To learn more about the non-profit, go to their website pawswithapurpose.org.