How did the idea of Rescue 2 Restore come about?
The “Rescue 2 Restore” juvenile life skills and animal care community partnership program was established in June 2014 as a component of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Division of Operations and Compliance, Volunteer Services.
Under the direction of DJJ Deputy Commissioner Sarah Draper, “Rescue 2 Restore” is responsible for building community partnerships and providing DJJ youth with positive animal interactions and lessons.
DJJ has identified animal programming as a successful method to provide youth with life skills, while educating young offenders about animal care and compassion. Behaviorally, animal programs have proven to help alleviate depression and encourage good behavior.
While holding young offenders accountable for their actions through probation supervision and secure detention, DJJ provides youth with medical and psychological treatment, as well as specialized programs like the new “Rescue 2 Restore” initiative designed to equip them with the social, intellectual and emotional tools they will need as adults.
The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice currently has two facilities which foster dogs on site for local rescue partners. Given the success of those innovative programs and the benefits of human-animal interaction, Georgia Juvenile Justice Department Commissioner Avery D. Niles decided to formalize the program and work on moving it to DJJ secure facilities statewide. Now the goal is to have animal programming in as many facilities as possible with the maximum benefit to the youth and dogs.
In addition to implementing dog programs, “Rescue 2 Restore” brings in one-time speakers to teach the youth about animal welfare, rescue, abuse, and training. It also provides service learning and community service opportunities through animal welfare organizations. Currently, students at the DJJ Sumter Youth Development Campus (YDC) are building dog houses to donate to Lifeline Animal Project. Those kennels will be distributed to low income families that cannot afford suitable housing for their pets. Additionally, youth on probation in Fulton County are volunteering with the Humane Society of the United States Pets for Life Program. These youth will learn about community service outreach in low income areas.
How many young people are currently participating in the program? How many shelter/rescue dogs are involved?
There are currently eight pairings of youth and dogs in DJJ’s dog training program. Two of the youth and dog teams are at the Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) in Dalton, GA. The Dalton program partners with the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia. DJJ’s Regional Youth Detention Centers are short-term holding facilities so youth rotate through them more frequently and initiatives like “Rescue 2 Restore” tend to serve more as temporary therapeutic programs there.
Six dogs and youth are paired at the Muscogee Youth Development Campus (YDC) in Midland, GA. where the facility partners with the Harris County Humane Society. DJJ’s Youth Development Campuses are longer term facilities, so youth paired with dogs will generally remain with those dogs for the entire 12-week training program. This YDC program provides opportunities for youth to form stronger bonds with their dogs and establish greater impact.
The program description says it "provides youth with life skills, while educating the youth on animal care and compassion," can you expand on how the kids are educated? Who conducts the classes/seminars/dog training?
A volunteer trainer comes in once a week to work with youth and dogs at DJJ facilities where dogs are kenneled on campus. The trainer runs the program like a typical canine training class. The one-hour weekly classes teach youth how to train the dogs using commands and to work through any difficulties. The youth then practice commands with their dogs during the week.
In addition to the training class, several guest speakers have visited DJJ secure facilities to provide one-time educational programs. Below is a list of presenters and a brief description of their programs:
Anna Bettina of Happy Healthy Pup brought her Mastiff puppy, “Glaukos the Gargoyle”, to DJJ’s Atlanta Youth Development Campus. Anna spoke about positive reinforcement training, dog “body language”, and bite prevention.
“Xena the Warrior Puppy” visited the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center with her “mom” Linda Hickey to deliver a presentation on animal cruelty, autism, and the bond between Linda’s son Jonny and Xena.
“Big Daddy Biscuits’” owner Lauren Janis delivered a presentation at DJJ’s Metro Regional Youth Detention Center about her dog Big Daddy and how he inspired her to start her own small business making biscuits.
Houston County Humane Society President Debbie Martin, delivered presentations at DJJ’s Macon Regional Youth Detention Center and the Macon Youth Development Campus about proper animal care, watching for animal cruelty, and the importance of adopting animals.
“Pigs are People Too” founders Mandi & David Tidwell brought a pet pig to the Marietta Youth Development Campus and educated youth about potbellied pigs as pets.
Aimee Davis of “Pitties in the City” visited DJJ’s Martha K Glaze Regional Youth Detention Center and spoke to youth about pit bulls and outreach efforts in Atlanta’s underserved communities. She brought her Pit Bulls “Gauge” and “Flirt” to interact with the youth.
Jason Flatt of “Friends to the Forlorn” Pit Bull Rescue visited the DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center along with his Pit Bull “Vinny”. Jason spoke to the youth about making the right choices, rescuing Pit Bulls, and how animal rescue has impacted his life.
Katharine Luongo and “Zaxby” visited the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center. Katharine spoke about the challenges that she and Zaxby have overcome. She revealed how they did not let their past define them and she encouraged the youth to learn from their mistakes and move on to make better choices.
Finally, Rescue 2 Restore Program Coordinator, Chrissy Kaczynski, has spoken at DJJ’s Sumter Youth Development Campus, Eastman Youth Development Campus, Eastman Regional Youth Detention Center, Albany Regional Youth Detention Center, and Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center. She brought along “Friends of DeKalb Animals’” foster pup “Buttercup” for discussions about animal shelters, animal welfare, and the “Rescue 2 Restore” program.
Is the program similar to the prison program where the inmates live with the dogs 24/7?
Although both initiatives involve specialized programs to build community partnerships and promote the therapeutic benefits of human-animal interaction, the similarities end there. The Department of Juvenile Justice operates secure facilities to foster restorative juvenile justice, not prisons for adult incarceration. “Rescue 2 Restore” program dogs are housed in a separate free-standing kennel building on campus. Designated youth are responsible for feeding the dogs and cleaning their kennels. DJJ youth will interact with the dogs a minimum of three times a day with at least an hour dedicated specifically to training. But Georgia’s young offenders and the program dogs do not bunk under the same roof.
Is there a qualification process for the "detained" children to participate in this program?
To determine the appropriate youth for the program each facility takes several factors into consideration. This includes the youth’s offending behavior, current behavior, and interests.
What do the kids train the dogs on?
The youth teach the dogs basic commands and manners such as “sit”, “down”, and “stay”. Dogs are trained to walk on a loose leash and to greet and interact with people appropriately. If time allows, the youth will also teach their dogs some tricks. DJJ’s Muscogee Youth Development Campus also has some agility equipment on site for dog training purposes.
Is the dog training period a scheduled time? Example, 2 weeks or a month, or is it more until the dog is ready for adoption?
Currently, the dogs at DJJ’s Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center are kept there until adopted. The dogs at the Muscogee Youth Development Campus go through a 12-week training program. If they are not adopted by the end of the twelve weeks, they return to the Harris County Humane Society shelter where they can be viewed by potential adopters. The program goal is to have the rescue dogs adopted as soon as possible after their training program is finished.
Who handles the adoption process of the dogs?
This is another example of how essential it is to have community partnerships like “Rescue 2 Restore”. Department of Juvenile Justice facilities provide temporary foster homes for the rescue dogs. Then local rescue partners handle the animal adoption process with the public.
What criteria are taken into account when selecting dogs to participate in the program?
To ensure the safety of the youth and the other dogs involved, one of the main selection criteria is for dogs that are both “dog-friendly” and “people friendly”. Midsized dogs are selected, generally between 35-to-55 pounds. This also means dogs that are not too “high-energy” to ensure that youth can handle the dogs and fulfill their exercise requirements.
How have the kids reacted to the interaction with the dogs?
Watching the kids and dogs work together, you can see the mutual respect, the bonding, and the joy. Program youth love working with these dogs. You can tell how quickly they bond with them and have fun teaching them their commands and tricks.
What life lessons can you say the kids have learned from the program?
The youth in these programs learn compassion, patience, and unconditional love. Juvenile offenders can learn to use this kind of positive reinforcement to encourage positive results. DJJ counselors and therapists tell us these same important skills also apply to relationships with friends and family. After completing the dog rescue program, one youth wrote a letter to thank DJJ for the opportunity to be a handler. He revealed that after his father passed away he did not want to love anyone again because he worried they would leave him too. But the dog in this program helped him overcome that fear. His family saw the change in him after he was released and they said he was able to form more positive relationships again.
What has surprised you the most about how the kids interact or relate to the dogs?
When you walk in to the presentation you never can tell who you will reach or how youth will respond. It’s always interesting to see which youth will open up and interact with the dogs. Many of the youth have walls they put up to keep people out. You can see the skepticism and lack of trust when you walk in the room. But as the youth begin interacting with the dogs, those walls begin to come down and they just become kids playing with dogs. The dogs allow them to relax and be themselves and then they start asking questions, telling stories, and becoming much more engaged.