How to Donate Dogs to Prisons

By Shelley Moore

Instructions

Step 1:
Donate puppies for service dog organizations if you raise purebred golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, collies or standard poodles. Some organizations also accept mixes of these specific breeds. Many service dog organizations are looking for puppies, including Assistance Dogs of America, Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans, Fidos for Freedom and more (see Resources below).
Step 2:
Donate puppies when they are between eight and 12 weeks of age. Service dog organizations require a health certificate and vaccination documentation from a veterinarian. The puppies also will need official hip clearance and inherited eye disease clearance.
Step 3:
Contact prisons in your region if you are in charge of an animal shelter and want to place dogs with prisoners for socializing and training. Most prisons do not have a program like this in place, so you may stir up some interest. If you do locate a prison which has a dogs-and-prisoners type of project, set up a meeting with officials to find out their policies and the structure of their particular program.
Step 4:
Contact a service dog organization if you are a pet owner with a dog that needs a new home, if it is of one of the preferred breeds and may be suitable to become a service dog. Although organizations prefer puppies, some evaluate dogs at the facility for at least two weeks before making a decision on whether to accept them.
Step 5:
Consider donating money to a service dog organization if you do not have a dog to donate, so they can purchase a puppy from a reputable breeder.

Resources

Photo/Video Credit

Jeff Hunt photo

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