Halifax Humane Society Begins Jailhouse Dog Program with Volusia County Jail

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HHS is introducing the Jailhouse Dog program at Volusia County Jail beginning November 4, 2019. The program is similar to the current Prison Pups N Pals program at Tomoka Correctional Facility, where dogs in need of training are paired up with inmates who have been trained in the basics of dog obedience training.

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“For the jailhouse dog program, we bring 2 behavior dogs for a 7-week period and pair each dog with 2 inmates. The dog stays with the inmates 24/7 during the 7-week period. The goal of the program is to give the dogs basic training which in turn makes them more adoptable and to give the inmates a purpose and goals for turning their lives around,” said Marcia Helm, Behavior Manager for HHS.

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Unlike the PPNP program, the trainer inmates at the jail are all female and are short term inmates. The initial pilot phase will be two dogs with hopes of expanding the count over time.

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“This program allows inmates with longer terms who have successfully completed the initial 7-week training program to become a lead trainer for future training periods. It will also allow the participants the opportunity to build their knowledge of dog training, handling, husbandry, and basic pet care. It's a win-win situation, where dogs that need one on one training receive it; and the participants learn skills they can use later in life", said Marcia.

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This program has been in the planning stages for over a year. Miguel Abi-hassan, CEO of HHS, Lt. Mark Kastner, and Warden Langdon were instrumental in getting the program implemented. Supervisor II Jackie Barnes is the program supervisor on-site at the jail. A behavioral staff member from HHS will visit the jail facility 3-times each week to assist the inmate trainers. 

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Each program period will conclude with a graduation ceremony. Approximately two weeks after the ceremony, 2 new dogs will start their training for another 7-week program, and so on.

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