Pairing needy dogs with inmates for training and behavioral rehabilitation so the dogs can move on to be adopted.
The Hounds of Prison Education (HOPE) training and rehabilitation program for rescued dogs was launched in March of 2005 by the Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance (CPAA) in an effort to help more homeless dogs find their way into forever homes. In July 2018, when CPAA merged with Furry Friends Network, HOPE became its own stand-alone non-profit.
HOPE pairs carefully screened inmates at the State Correctional Institution in Camp Hill with rescued dogs for training and rehabilitation, to get them ready to be adopted. The inmates and the dogs live together in the cell and attend weekly training sessions with a professional trainer, prison staff, and HOPE volunteers. They follow a strict training regimen which provides the dogs with basic obedience training, socialization, behavior modification, one-on-one attention, and the structure they need to adapt into a traditional home. By the time they are paroled, the dogs have become more confident, well-behaved, and look forward to starting their new life on the outside. Plus, every HOPE graduate comes with free life-time training support with a HOPE trainer.
What sets HOPE apart from other “prison training programs” is that HOPE doesn’t just train puppies or provide basic obedience training. Rather, HOPE provides training and rehabilitation for adult dogs who otherwise would not have a chance at a wonderful life with a forever family.
For information on these amazing dogs, please click on their photos above to read their weekly prison journals
