PRISON GREY'S ADOPTION PROGRAM:
CCCF and Friends of Retired Greyhounds have partnered to allow inmates to foster greyhounds that have been taken from the tracks and given a second chance. This allows the dogs an opportunity to transition into a home setting and offers inmates the ability to develop some parenting skills.

Formed in conjunction with the Crowley County Correctional Facility in Colorado, the Cell Dogs program for greyhounds offers retired racing dogs and prison inmates enormous opportunity for personal growth and positive experience, while giving back to the community. A greyhound is a gentle, kind and peaceful presence in a jail cell. The greys who spend time in the program graduate with some great basic obedience and socialization skills, making them an especially great pet for a permanent family home.

Inmates gain the emotional healing which comes from the unconditional love of a dog, formal dog training skills, and better parenting skills. Studies show that such programs raise self-esteem in those inmates involved, raise general prison population morale for both participants and non-participants, provide rehabilitation, and teach valuable vocational and social skills to program inmates.

Retired racing greyhounds fresh from the track life have the opportunity to bond with humans and to receive basic training in obedience, making them a good potential prospect for permanent adoption into a loving home. From 20 - 24 greyhounds at a time live at the prison as part of our program. Cell Dogs allows greyhounds to live in the prison for a few months, in which time they receive the full-time affection of caretakers, and learn important obedience skills.

Inmates who apply to the program are carefully screened. Accepted applicants are trained in teams of two, to care for a dog for two months, 24 hours a day. They work on obedience skills with the dog daily for a set formal period. Outside dog trainers working with FORG visit frequently to teach inmates to provide daily positive training to the dogs.

A March 2005 article in the Journal of Correctional Education reported that such animal/inmate programs have consistently proven beneficial not only for the dogs and inmates, but for

the overall prison population and the community as a whole. Statistics have shown that where such programs exist, overall rates of violent prison incidents are substantially lowered. Those working with inmates believe that overall morale amongst inmates is greatly increased by the presence of these animal companions and the responsibility of the inmate role in training. Our Cell Dogs program is not unique in its existence - such programs have increased across the nation in the past two decades, as the many beneficial effects became apparent. However, the FORG/Crowley County Correctional Facility's program has a unique reputation in terms of its success and quality, and that it features retired racing greyhounds.

For further information on our Cell Dogs Program, or to adopt a cell dog, contact Friends of Retired Greyhounds.

Our Cell Dogs Program
Changing lives for the better, every day...