Gloria Gilbert Stoga is the founder of Puppies Behind Bars (PPB). Her organization trains prison inmates to raise puppies to be guide dogs for the blind and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.
"She's in prison," is the typical response heard when tracking down Gloria's whereabouts. In an interview with New York Daily News she was quoted: "I'm not soft. I am touched sometimes but never soft. Prison is a really dark, nasty environment. The work the women and men are doing with these dogs and the sheer love that the dogs bring have allowed the inmates to see that they can still contribute to society."
Puppies Behind Bars made its debut at New York State's Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison for women in July 1997. It started with five puppies and several inmates that were interviewed and carefully screened before being allowed to become puppy-raisers. The inmates could not have committed "heinous" crimes and must have had at least two years left on their sentences. The puppies stay with the inmates from eight weeks old to sixteen or eighteen months. During that time puppies undergo basic manners of obedience, bonding and socialization.
"Confidence is the most important trait for a guide dog to have, but as it is not hereditary, it is the one trait which cannot be bred into dogs. Dogs become confident by being around human beings and by being introduced to a variety of situations at a measured pace."
The results were pawsitive from the start of the program. "Anecdotal," said Gloria, "The responsibility and joy that the program brought to the inmates was indeed immediate but concrete results weren't evident for the first 18 months."
Puppies Behind Bars overcame a number of challenges such as: getting the Guide Dog Schools to believe in the concept, Correction Officers understanding that the dogs would not be trained to attack them and knowing that at all times the pups would be properly cared for. Prisons participating in the program note puppy-raiser inmates enhance the quality of prison life and that there's a more secure atmosphere for everyone.
"My name is Susan. I'll be released from prison next week after serving 27 years. I have been involved with Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) for two years. I have started this letter many times, outlining PBB's history, what's expected of us, etc. However, I want to explain PBB's importance to so many people, inside and out.
When you are in prison everything you need to survive is given to you. You are grateful for people who volunteer to help but wonder why someone would come to a maximum-security prison to give unselfishly. Ultimately you realize that people get satisfaction from helping others. PBB offers an opportunity for inmates to give rather than receive. For the first time in many years we have been given the gift of trust. In turn we have learned to trust.
PBB requires time, energy and dedication. PBB shares their expertise with us and even brings guide dog users to prison so we understand why our work is important. Nothing less than our best efforts is acceptable. PBB began as a program to utilize inmates to maximize the number of puppies available for guide dog training and evolved into a program that allows inmates to constructively use their time while repaying their debt to society. I have received far more than I have given.
I cannot thank the instructors enough for being who they are or for the Power that sent them into our lives. Daily, they give us more than I can put into words."
|
|
Gloria's Smile...
Whenever Carlos, her Labrador nose-nudges his mom, or Pomo, WOOF Patrol mascot, wiggles a body-slamming hello, Gloria's mouth, without hesitation or thought, curves into the most beautiful and radiating smile. It is always about the puppies and what is best for them that matters most to her.
Puppies Behind Bars received Charity Navigator's highest rating for fiscal responsibility and organizational capacity for the day to day functions. This distinctive merit ranks them in elite category that allows donators to understand that the money they generously give goes directly to the services.
|
Send this article to a friend
