PUPPIES BEHIND BARS INC

RAISING SERVICE DOGS IN PRISION AND PAIRING THEM WITH WOUNDED VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND FACILITY DOGS FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS:PBB TRAINS INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN FOUR NY PRISONS TO RAISE SERVICE DOGS FOR WOUNDED VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND FACILITY DOGS FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS (PDS). SERVICE DOGS LEARN MORE THAN 70 COMMANDS TO ASSIST WITH DAILY TASKS AND MITIGATE SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. FACILITY DOGS ARE TRAINED TO SERVE WHOLE PDS. PBB PLACES DOGS FREE OF CHARGE AND PROVIDES INTENSIVE HANDLER TRAINING AND ONGOING SUPPORT. SERVICE DOG RECIPIENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES BENEFIT THROUGH REDUCED ANXIETY AND OTHER PTSD SYMPTOMS. FACILITY DOGS FOR PDS ENHANCE OFFICER WELLNESS AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY OUTREACH. APPROXIMATELY 125 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TRAIN UP TO 60 DOGS AT A TIME. AS PUPPY RAISERS, THEY LEARN IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY WITH THE HOPE OF RETURNING TO WORK OR SCHOOL. PUPPIES ENTER THE PROGRAM AT 8 WEEKS OLD AND REMAIN IN TRAINING FOR TWO YEARS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS WITH SUPPORT FROM MORE THAN 250 VOLUNTEERS.

RAISING EXPLOSIVE-DETECTION CANINES IN PRISON:PBB RAISES EXPLOSIVE-DETECTION CANINES (EDCS) FOR WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN TWO PRISONS IN NEW YORK. AN AVERAGE OF 40 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TAKE PART IN OUR PROGRAM, RAISING 16 TO 20 DOGS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE TRAINING PROCESS TAKES APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS, AND BETWEEN 16 AND 20 OF THESE DOGS GRADUATE EACH YEAR. OUR EDCS HAVE GONE TO WORK TO DETECT EXPLOSIVES OR ACCELERANTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE, WESTCHESTER COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ATF ARE JUST A FEW OF THE AGENCIES THAT USE PBB DOGS. THEY SCREEN COURTHOUSES AND OTHER GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, CHECK STADIUMS BEFORE BALL GAMES, AND HELP SOLVE ARSON CASES AND PROVIDE MANY OTHER SERVICES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.