Female prisoners train dogs

SHANE WENZLICK/Manukau Courier

POUND PUPPIES: University student Amy Hogan speaks to the audience gathered at the launch of the Puppies in Prison programme at Auckland Women's Prison with her mobility dog Bonnie at her side. Next to her are Maori service delivery adviser Des Ripi, Corrections Minister Phil Goff, kaumatua Eru Thompson and site kaitiaki Pare Rauwhero.

Relevant offers

Most misbehaving pets would opt for a quick time-out in the backyard kennel over a year in the slammer but Ellie the lab and Eva the retriever have no choice.

They are pilot puppies for a new rehabilitation programme called Puppies in Prison in the Auckland Women’s Prison at Wiri.

Corrections Minister Phil Goff launched the programe at the prison last Thursday.

With the help of the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust inmates will train the pups to help disabled people in the community.

Each puppy will need to learn skills such as retrieving, pushing buttons, pulling zips and responding to emergency situations before it can become a fully fledged mobility dog.

The dogs will benefit from fulltime care from their "prison handler" and after a year-and-a-half of training, including weekend "puppy parole" outside the prison, they will be assigned to disabled people.

One who already benefits from the mobility dog trust’s work is Amy Hogan, a university student with cerebral palsy.

She says her dog Bonnie helps her out of a wide range of sticky situations such as if her wheelchair becomes trapped or she drops her notes.

"I can no longer use the excuse that the dog ate my homework," she says.

In an emergency Bonnie can bark on command or fetch help, all of which give her a sense of independence and safety.

Mobility Dogs chief executive Bradley Mark says a long waiting list has developed for dogs but the constant attention the inmates can provide will help cut training times.

Training the dogs is expected to have benefits for inmates’ self-esteem, discipline and education.

"Overseas it’s been shown that not only do puppies in prison train faster but also the rate of recidivism for prisoners is reduced."

Northern prisons regional manager Jeanette Burns says after a rigorous selection process four inmates were chosen to be fulltime trainers.

"Firstly, they had a love of dogs. I don’t think you could do this kind of job without that."

The opportunity for employment on release was also a motivation because of a shortage of dog trainers.

"It’s actually really hard work. The way the training’s set up it’s very strict about what the dogs can and can’t do and times they have to go out and be toileted.

"It’s full on — like having a baby really."

Despite the challenges, Ms Burns says being a dog trainer is probably the best job an inmate can have in prison.

- © Fairfax NZ News