PAWS FOR LIFE LAUNCHES FIRST EVER PRISON DOG TRAINING
PROGRAM FOR ADOPTERS IN LOS ANGELES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LA Animal Services Media Contact: Justin Khosrowabadi, (213) 482-9551 or justin.khosrowabadi@lacity.org
PAWS FOR LIFE LAUNCHES FIRST EVER PRISON DOG TRAINING
PROGRAM FOR ADOPTERS IN LOS ANGELES
Program Aims to Help Overlooked Shelter Dogs Get Adopted
Los Angeles, July 29, 2019 – Paws for Life K9 Rescue and Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) announced today the launch of an innovative and first-of-its-kind program to help overlooked adoptable dogs find homes. The program will pair adopted dogs with inmates at the maximum security prison in Lancaster, CA. The incarcerated men will provide 6-8 weeks of daily dog training which is valued at more than $5,000. Dogs at the shelter will be evaluated for the program and those selected will come with an offer to the adopter to receive free training after adoption.
“There are several successful prison dog training programs throughout the country,” said Alex Tonner, Founder of Paws for Life K9 Rescue. “What makes the partnership with LA Animal Services unique is that we are selecting great dogs who may have previously been overlooked to attend the training. Community members can adopt one of these pre-selected dogs knowing that after the 6-8 week training, they will be bringing home a fully trained friend into their home.”
The program, called “Shelter Paws for Life,” began on Friday, July 5 and will serve all six LA Animal Services Centers. It launched at LAAS’s highest intake location: Chesterfield Square Animal Services Center, 1850 W. 60th St. Los Angeles, CA 90047.
The goal of the program is to train 250 dogs annually at the Lancaster prison.
“We are so excited to launch this program with Paws For Life,” said MeLissa Webber Assistant General Manager, LA Animal Services. “It’s really a community project that benefits both the dogs and the incarcerated men who are continuing on their journey of rehabilitation.”
Paws For Life K9 Rescue pulls its dogs from local shelters. Often, we choose dogs in need of socialization and training which we place with our incarcerated trainers throughout California State Prisons. We do this because they can dedicate all of their time to their rehabilitation. After several months of training, our dogs are ready for family life after completing their AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification. Some are trained to become service animals for military veterans with PTSD. By lowering euthanasia rates and preparing dogs for service-jobs, PFL is proving that everyone deserves a second chance. https://pawsforlifek9.org/
Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is one of the largest municipal shelter systems in the United States with six services centers serving approximately 60,000 animals annually and responding to 20,000 emergency calls involving an animal or person in danger. LA Animal Services promotes and protects the health, safety and welfare of animals and people.
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