Update, 3/18/09: Royce has been adopted! Happy tails, Royce, happy tails!

Safe Harbor for Pets is a unique animal rescue organization; working with the Lansing Correctional Facility, Safe Harbor takes in dogs from high-kill shelters so that they can be fostered and trained by prisoners at the facility:

Our program began on 08/13/04. We, the Safe Harbor Team brought a small group of unwanted dogs into the Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, KS.

The Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program’s number one goal is saving the lives of as many dogs as we can, providing them with a safe harbor, and giving them a second chance at life. We rescue dogs mainly from high-kill animal shelters across the Midwest. The dogs then go to the prison, where we have approximately 100 inmates trained to be dog handlers who foster the dogs. The handlers take great pride in their work and do a wonderful job. The handlers work tremendously on socialization with the dogs at first, then they work with the dogs on housetraining and leash training, and basic commands.

All dogs are spayed and neutered, vaccinated, and current on heartworm preventative.

We have a GREAT partnership with the Petsmart in Shawnee, KS on Shawnee Mission Parkway. We hold adoptions there mostly every Saturday. We do occasionally hold other adoption events. The main page of the website always shows where we’ll be.

Because the human-animal bond can prove beneficial for many prisoners, such programs help both the dogs rescued, as well as their human rescuers. For example, Patricia Kelley is currently documenting the results of these programs in a book, “Prison Dogs: Hope Behind Bars”:

PRISON DOGS: HOPE BEHIND BARS is an exclusive and compelling book project about the transformational prison dog programs that are changing lives and offering the most positive and hopeful rehabilitation programs ever developed in the American penal system-and now proliferating around the world.

While there are currently no American published books on the dog rehabilitation programs, dozens of television programs and one full-length movie (Within These Walls, Lifetime Television about the original founder, Sister Pauline Quinn, and her first program.) have been produced, not to mention innumerable feature articles. The interest in and importance of these prison dog programs have established a ready and eager market for this exclusive book.

PRISON DOGS: HOPE BEHIND BARS, is a seminal documentation of a dog’s most important gift to the best and the worst of us-unconditional love. This is the first book to give real voices to the power of these programs via the prisoners themselves, the prison staff, government officials and the recipients of the dogs. From murderers to drug dealers—their stories will evoke emotions, questions and of course, controversy.

You can read some of the success stories and find out about additional programs here.

Now on to this week’s Featured Adoptable – Royce the Rottweiler!:

I am the sweetest boy you could ever meet, all I want is attention, I love attention, my stubby tail never stops wagging, I’m always so excited to be with you, I am 5 years old, if you would like to meet me please call Safe Harbor.

Visit Royce’s Petfinder listing or Safe Harbor’s website to adopt this lovable little (errr, big?) guy!

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Each Wednesday, the Kansas City Freecycle blog will feature one adoptable animal from a local KC rescue group or animal shelter.

We do this for several reasons:

- To highlight the plight of companion animals in the Kansas City area.

- To remind members of our no-animal policy, and provide an alternative venue for members who wish to adopt an unwanted animal.

- To encourage members to adopt a furry friend.

- To help out out local animal rescue groups and animal shelters, many of which are overwhelmed by the sheer number of animals in need.

- To illustrate these animals’ unique personalities and characteristics, thus underscoring the fact that they are not objects and should not be “freecycled”.

Click here to view past Featured Adoptables.

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Tagged: kcfreecycle freecycle kansas ks missouri mo kcmo kcks featured adoptables animal adoption animal rescue petfinder pet companion animal dog canine royce rottweiler lansing Lansing Correctional Facility prison rehabilitation Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program Safe Harbor prison dogs anthrozoology human-animal bond