Second Chances, livre ebook

Second Chances: The Transformative Relationship Between Incarcerated Youth and Shelter Dogs recounts the story of Project POOCH (Positive Opportunities—Obvious Change with Hounds), a program that united incarcerated boys with unwanted dogs from animal shelters. Both the boys and the dogs were considered undesirable, and few had found love in their lives. As a result of the project, the lives of many youths and dogs changed forever.

The project faced many challenges. The correctional facility administrators needed much convincing before approval was given to start the onsite program with one boy and one dog. At one point, Dalton sold her house to keep the project funded. However, since 1993, over 95 percent of the youths have not returned to corrections once their sentence was served. Some of the boys have gone on to college, and all have been gainfully employed. The POOCH dogs learned basic obedience and went on to become beloved family pets; some even became companion dogs to autistic children, people with physical impairments, and war veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Dalton’s own story starts with a family background where her dogs were killed for minor behavioral problems, and leads to teaching incarcerated youth that they deserve unconditional love, first demonstrated by the transformational connection with canines.

Project POOCH Timeline
Author’s Note
1. My Path to Corrections
2. The Human-Animal Bond
3. Do We Want a Dog Program?
4. Training Boys, Training Dogs
5. Grand Opening
6. Troubling Times
7. Adding More Boys and More Dogs
8. Dogs Saving Humans
9. Emotions from the Past
10. Expanding School Offerings
11. Contagious Energy
12. Setting the Bar Higher
13. Dogs Bring Volunteers
14. There Was No Seat for Me at the Table
15. New Experiences
16. Don’t Shoot the Dog
17. Learning New Skills and Facing New Challenges
18. More Incredible People Elevate POOCH
19. Compassion and the Incarcerated
20. Never Give Up Hope
21. More Challenges
22. Keeping Hope Alive
23. Letting Go Is Never Easy
24. In Their Own Words
25. I Am Out! Now What?
26. Thoughts from Youth
27. Letters from Adopted Dogs and Their Pet Parents
28. What’s Next?
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Terminology
Appendix 2: Class Rules and Expectations for Success
Appendix 3: Recommended Resources
About the Author