From Prison to Home: A Can Do Canines Puppy Story
It was a happy homecoming for a group of puppies who’ve been in prison for several weeks. The young dogs were behind bars, not for crimes, but for training as future Can Do Canines assistance dogs. Prisoners at a camp near Duluth have been caring for the puppies until they were old enough to start working toward their new jobs as helpers for people with disabilities.
“Prison is perfect for them,” says Can Do Canines Executive Director Alan Peters. “Inmates have a lot of time to give them attention and training that our volunteers don’t have because they are working jobs and have families to take care of.”
Volunteer foster families will take care of the puppies until they’re 18 months old. Then, they will go to Can Do Canines for final training and placement with the person they’ll be assigned to. The dogs help disabled people live more independently.
