[NAGDU] Puppies Behind Bars - New Yorker

Julie Johnson julielj at neb.rr.com
Mon Nov 27 16:06:07 UTC 2017


Some thoughts in no particular order...

I think the programs, both guide dog and prison, would screen raisers so 
that those who had a record of abusing animals or were thought to be a 
danger would be excluded.  Jenine has stated that GDF prison raisers are 
screened and selected based on their behavior.  I would think other programs 
would take similar precautions.

The puppies, at least from GDF, are taken over the weekends to attend 
typical life events.  Also many prisons do have a large variety of 
situations that the puppies could be exposed to, office settings, cafeteria, 
living areas,  industrial, and so on.  Generally people in prison do not 
spend all day every day in their cells.

Previously people here have stated that Pilot's puppy raisers do not take 
their puppies into public places like restaurants and shops where pets are 
not normally allowed.  Is that incorrect or has that changed?

I used to work in criminal justice and have met quite a number of offenders, 
from very minor offenses to those serving life sentences.  There are a few 
truly horrible people in there, but mostly they are typical people who have 
made mistakes, quite often related to alcohol and drug use.  I know a number 
of people who have used alcohol and drugs inappropriately, but aren't in 
prison.  Which brings us to my final thought...

How do we really know that non prison puppy raisers aren't child abusers, 
drug addicts or otherwise engaged in activities that could rightly be called 
criminal with the exception that they haven't been caught?

Julie
On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
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-----Original Message----- 
From: Tara Briggs via NAGDU
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2017 9:25 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Tara Briggs
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Puppies Behind Bars - New Yorker

So what should happen to people in prison system? I ask this because the 
majority of them will be released into society. Here’s a hypothetical 
situation but I’m curious what you always think of it. Will call him George, 
and he is in prison. George is in prison because he started using marijuana. 
He started using marijuana at a young age. He had chronic pain from say a 
farming accident. In order to support his chronic pain, George became a drug 
dealer. He sold marijuana to other people. Some used recreationally and 
others use it for chronic pain or epilepsy. Eventually George’s crimes 
caught up with him and he is now in prison. Well in prison George becomes a 
puppy raiser. Eventually George is released. FaceTime in prison has given 
him a deep love of dogs and a deep love of what they can do for people. 
George is now out of prison. He has discovered in himself a lot of animals 
in love teaching. He is working to rebuild his life and his goal is to be an 
instructor for one of the guide dog schools. Should George be able to 
accomplish the stream? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on my 
hypothetical situation. But I would respectfully point out this is actually 
based on the true situation of a gentleman who is a paraplegic in prison.

Michael  Pelletier. You can Google him if you want to hear his full story. 
On the other hand I do see what you mean. There are certain people that I 
would not want training my dog. I wouldn’t want someone who was in prison 
for abusing animals training my dog. I wouldn’t want someone who was in 
prison for rape or pedophilia training my dog. Anyway I look forward to this 
further discussion.
Tara
Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 27, 2017, at 8:04 AM, S L Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
> wrote:
>
> Hi Sherry:
>
> I agree with you.  When I was asked by a school if I would accept a dog
> raised in a prison I told the trainer absolutely no!  If it was the best
> guide dog that ever was, I would not accept a prison raised dog.  I cannot
> imagine my sweet golden girl raised by a criminal,  what an awful thought.
> Just the thought of these innocent puppies raised by a criminal is
> disgusting and unacceptable to me.  The thinking these days is to rehab
> prisoners but to me all it is a way for them to get free educations, time
> off for completing their education and raising puppies is a privilege.  If
> they had not committed a crime they could go to school or get any job
> including working with dogs.  However, I think the guide and service dog
> schools should not allow these precious puppies near this criminals.  They
> need to place the puppies in safe loving homes not in a prison!  I cannot
> believe that the schools find themselves so desperate that they resort to
> allowing criminals near these puppies.  Shame on you guide and service dog
> schools! Please,  please think of the safety of your puppies!  I know both
> of us will get angry messages from the monitor of the list as well as 
> other
> list members but this is a free country with freedom of speech so you and 
> I
> are entitled to our opinion on this subject.
>
> Sandra Johnson and precious golden Eva
> SLJohnson25 at comcast.net
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Sherry Gomes via NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2017 10:11 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Cc: Sherry Gomes
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Puppies Behind Bars - New Yorker
>
> I took one of my dogs to prison with my church choir a long long time ago.
> We went to a minimum security prison. The guys were very happy to see my
> dog. Another time, I went with my cousin to see her ex-husband, who was in
> San Quentin for drug charges. We met in a big room with lots of prisoners
> and their guests, and one woman asked if her husband could say hi to my 
> dog.
> He was a lifer and had already been there 15 years so hadn't seen a dog in 
> a
> very long time. He cried and cried when he petted my dog. Having said all
> that, I would not want a dog raised in prison. I knew a woman who had one,
> and the dog was fabulous. But years ago, I read the book small Miracles by
> ann Rule. Near the end, she mentioned that on one of her visits to Diane
> Downs for interviews, Downs was raising a puppy to be a service dog. Downs
> never showed any remorse about murdering one of her children and trying to
> murder all three. So I felt she had no right to the privilege of raising a
> dog. If GDB ever started having their dogs raised in prison, I'd tell them 
> I
> definitely do not want one of those dogs. It might be a dumb attitude, but
> the idea that people like Diane Downs, or anyone like her,  could raise a
> dog I might get is terrible to me.
>
>
> Sherry
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2017 6:45 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Puppies Behind Bars - New Yorker
>
> One of the prisons here in Iowa used to work with dogs as did the women's
> prison, but I can't remember if they were training them for a program. I
> t got too crowded for them to have a good facility. When I went to the
> women's prison once to participate in the church service there, several
> looked longingly at Fisher and said, "awe", but they had been instructed 
> not
> to mess with him. I was sort of sorry they had been.
> Cindy Lou Ray
> cindyray at gmail.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shari Cook via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2017 5:41 PM
> To: David via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Shari Cook <kalilee at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Puppies Behind Bars - New Yorker
>
> America's VetDogs (a sister organization to the Guide Dog Foundation for
> the Blind in Smithtown, NY) has puppy raisers in prison - they are
> imprisoned veterans that raise pups specifically for other veterans to
> provide them with enhanced mobility and renewed independence.  As with 
> GDF,
> there is no cost to get a pup.  The dogs spend their weekdays being 
> trained
> by honor prisoners and go to a family on weekends for social exposure. 
> The
> pups typically stay at the prison for 12 to 18 months, then go off to 
> "puppy
> college" for their specific formal training which lasts approximately 4
> months.  I raise puppies for GDF and we often cross train with the VetDogs
> program.  It's amazing to see what these animals can do, from finding the
> button to open a handicapped entrance, to pushing an elevator button, or
> opening and closing doors, pulling laundry baskets, waking a veteran 
> that's
> having flashbacks, to just being a general companion and getting the 
> veteran
> to be comfortable in the public again.  If anyone needs more information 
> on
> the VetDogs program, their website is America's VetDogs | Home
>
> |
> |
> |  |
> America's VetDogs | Home
>
>
> |
>
> |
>
> |
>
>
>
>
>    On Sunday, November 26, 2017, 5:14:49 PM EST, David via NAGDU
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Cross-posted
>
> https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/27/puppies-behind-bars-with-glenn
> -close
>
> -- 
> *David and Claire Rose in Clearwater, FL*
> *david at bakerinet.com*
>
>
> ---
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