A Dog's Fate in two Different Acts
By Lillian Micelli
Jun 2, 2006, 05:46
ACT I
When I began writing the Canine Career Path column, my research found countless, rewarding occupations dedicated to preserving and continuing the lives of dogs. Both noble and virtuous, the stories of these dog friendly workers continually left me feeling inspired. However, for June's column I have decided to separate my story into the good and not so good areas of a Canine Career Path.
One Canine Career Path that some people choose is that of a puppy mill owner. The thought of a puppy mill may not immediately evoke a shiver from you, but once you have looked through a brochure from Prisoners of Greed (www.prisonersofgreed.org ) or Hearts United for Animals (www.hua.org) – your impression of puppy mills may change.
Now I know that we all want to make money to support ourselves and our families, but doing so at the expense of a small defenseless animal does not make any sense. Puppy mill owners breed their animals over and over and then sell the resulting puppies or kittens to pet shops. In many cases, the adult dogs used for breeding are often housed in tiny wire cages stacked on top of each other for their entire lives. Most Puppy Mills have no heat or proper food, and infections set in, teeth begin to rot and extreme malnutrition develops. The dogs are trapped in an endless cycle of misery with no way of escape. Some may argue that not all puppy mills practice such extreme measures, but many do…it’s the way to quick profit.
Visit one of the websites mentioned above for more information and to see how you can help.
ACT II
When good things happen to bad people. Ask any prison that has an Inmate Dog Training Program and most will tell you what a success it has been for both inmates and dogs. Being a Prison Dog Trainer is probably not for everyone. Only inmates with longer sentences are referred since the time for training before and after being paired with a dog requires time. Once the training starts inmates spend practically everyday with their dogs. Dog training programs have expanded further in many correction facilities, primarily in the training of guide, hearing and service dogs. Whether the dogs are puppies or a few years old, both trainer and dog learn how to better develop their social skills. The program succeeds because the Prison Dog Trainer learns to trust again, accepts responsibility by caring for something other than himself and reacts better toward other inmates while he works as part of a team.
Under this program, the bond between dog and prisoner is a strong one and letting go when the time comes can be very emotional -- even to the most extreme or seemingly sociopathic prisoner. However, the experience of being a Prison Dog Trainer can lead to work in the pet industry once the inmate resumes his life outside of prison.
The Inmate Dog Training Program (or whatever name it goes by, depending on the institution) appears to be overwhelmingly successful. This program is beneficial not only to the dog, inmate and prison but for all of society as well. This is truly a case where good things happen to bad people.
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