Prison Inmates Rescue Death Row Dogs

The Muhlenberg County Humane Society in Greenville, KY offers an innovative program allowing prison inmates to save death row dogs. Homeless dogs that might otherwise be euthanized, are being turned over to the medium security Green River Correctional Complex for an 8-12 week training. There are currently 40 prisoners that have been educated in dog training at the prison. The Muhlenberg County Humane Society sends in 20 dogs at a time, and each dog is assigned to 2 prisoners. The prison inmates spend 24/7 with the dog, including the dog living with the inmates in the prison cell.

The prisoners have done such an excellent job, there is actually a waiting list to try to adopt one of these highly trained dogs. In 12 weeks, the dogs go from being death row dogs, into highly sought after therapy dogs and pets. Many of the death row dogs are now working in nursing homes as therapy dogs, and as reading dogs helping children feel comfortable with reading out loud. According to dog trainer inmate Danny Rice who is doing a life sentence,

"The Death Row Dogs program has helped transform many prisoners who never smiled and who had difficulties communicating. Before you know it, they'll see a particular dog, or a group of dogs, playing and running, or somebody training a dog, and they're wanting to pet and touch...and they open up to people that normally they wouldn't ever associate with, You just see more life in people. It's really a blessing."

Props to the Muhlenberg County Humane Society for thinking outside the box, and creating such a great program that helps both animals and people. Check out the Muhlenberg County Humane Society webpage on Petfinder, for more information on this great program.