Prison Pet Partnership began in 1982 as part of Tacoma Community College’s inmate education program. The facility is located on the grounds of the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington. Inmate employees support the boarding kennel, the grooming service, and service dog training. Prison Pet Partnership gives inmates the opportunity to learn valuable pet industry-related vocational skills to use in finding employment when they resume their lives outside of prison. Our service dogs are able to respond to the needs of individuals who experience seizures, those who live with various illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis, and those who have multiple disabilities, by assisting them in their daily activities and by giving them increased independence. Only one out of every 15 to 20 dogs selected from animal rescues for our program has the intelligence and temperament necessary to become a Service or Therapy Dog. Dogs who do not make it as Service Dogs are trained in basic obedience that allow them to be placed in the community as Paroled Pets. Paroled Pets can be found on Petfinder at https://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelterid=WA243. Studies on the human/animal bond have reached the conclusion, not surprising, that humans benefit from the unqualified love and acceptance that only animals can provide. The shared bond between our dogs, their inmate trainers, and above all, their eventual owners, provides a feeling of satisfaction that directly contributes to the mental and physical wellness of all who are involved. This is the essence of what Prison Pet Partnership has provided over the years to the inmates who work with the dogs, the dogs who are given the chance to lead lives of service, and the individuals with disabilities who receive the well trained dogs to help increase their level of independence.
