Karma Rescue Pairs Hurricane Harvey Shelter Dogs With Inmates To Help
Karma Rescue’s program takes rescue dogs that have been designated for euthanasia and puts them with inmates who have been taught by Karma trainers to train the dogs. The dogs go through the Canine Good Citizenship program with the inmates as their trainers, and when graduated, are placed as newly ‘highly adoptable’ dogs in their forever homes.
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Karma has recently introduced shelter dogs from Hurricane Harvey in their newest program, designed to train dogs to assist those with symptoms of PTSD. Inmates teach dogs approximately 60 commands, many purposed to help their humans with emotional distress and to retrieve their medication for them. Many who receive the dogs are veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Now, a new batch of dogs will graduate from training at Lancaster State Prison on September 21 in Lancaster, California. Director of Operation for Karma Rescue and Paws For Life Alex Tonner said that the program is life-changing for the dogs, inmates who train and military veterans. The dogs are hand-selected and the inmates give back to society by preparing the dogs to help with veterans who have PTSD. Tonner says that saving a dog saves people as they go through this program and help with the nearly half a million people untreated for PTSD. The program looks to match veterans with dogs to solve the problem of abandoned dogs and untreated veterans.
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Tonner says that saving a dog saves people as they go through this program and help with the nearly half a million people untreated for PTSD. The program looks to match veterans with dogs to solve the problem of abandoned dogs and untreated veterans.
If you’d like more information about the rescue program or to donate to help save shelter dogs and U.S. Vets, you can go to Karma Rescue and learn more or donate.
More by Lori Ennis