PAWS Shelter of Central Texas is proud to announce the graduation of our latest Cell Dog Class that will be held at the Kyle Correctional Facility located at 23001 Interstate Hwy 35 on Tuesday Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. This graduation ceremony will celebrate 10 dogs and 20 handlers that have completed this comprehensive program and we hope you will join us for this heart-warming experience that truly represents the human-animal bond.
The PAWS Shelter Cell Dog Program changes lives — for man and for dog. For this transforming program, PAWS dogs are carefully selected to be trained and cared for by approved inmates at Kyle Correctional Center. The chosen handlers must interview and write an essay on why they want to participate in the program. Once chosen, they first go through two weeks of classroom training before they begin eight weeks of round-the-clock care of their assigned dog, with semi-weekly training sessions by the PAWS professional trainer.
The selected dogs play a major role of receiving obedience and behavioral training through positive reinforcement. As training progresses, the canines provide offenders with a new focus, other than themselves, as they become dog handlers and trainers. New experiences and lessons in responsible relationships are created as the offenders’ care for the dogs. The mutual benefit between the offenders and the canines has been joyfully witnessed throughout the program and upon graduation when the inmates receive their certifications as dog handlers and the newly trained dogs impress the audience with their new skills. During the program, the offenders receive boosts in their self-esteem and connections to others and the canines receive that undeniable attention pets deserve.
