The life blood of every nonprofit, especially small ones like Friends of Paws in Prison, is the support from individual donors and volunteers. Here we are in 2023 hosting the 4th Cutest Critter Photo Contest. Enter the contest by uploading a photo of your Cutest Critter - any pet that holds a special spot in your heart (not just dogs). You have the opportunity to win prizes and "save more than dogs" at the same time!

Put it on your calendar - you can upload your Cutest Critter's photo starting Sunday, August 20, 2023 and throughout the month of September. Photos are uploaded on the special contest website. Voting, however, can only occur during the month of September.

Amazon Gift Card prizes will be awarded to the first through third place winners based on the total number of votes received at the end of the contest. We will also award a 2024 Cutest Critter photo calendar to each of the top 12 winners, with one winner featured each month.

The sooner you enter your photo, the longer you have to promote your Cutest Critter through email, social media, and good old conversations! Keep in mind this is a fundraiser for Friends of Paws in Prison, the amazing nonprofit that saves the lives of shelter dogs and incarcerated women. Fun and Fund Raising!

I truly thought that my life was over in 2018. I had hit rock bottom. I was headed to prison for a six year sentence and hope wasn’t a word I used often. I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror any more; she seemed so lost and so unsure of herself. I spent the first 1-1/2 years at Gatesville prison working in the Texas heat and trying to figure out how my life had gotten so out of hand.

Then I was transferred to Lockhart. I ended up in a dorm right next to the Paws in Prison dog dorm, and I just knew this is where I wanted, and needed to be. However with Covid, no one was moving dorms. I truly believe that God had a hand in things because I was moved in less than three weeks into the Paws dorm in 2020. I decided that God moved my mountain, and it was time that I dug deep and gave my all. So I did. I put everything I had into the Paws in Prison program. I got up early and did what was asked of me, plus I strived for more. I decided to no longer settle or barely get by and I made it my goal to become a mentor [the highest level of achievement helping others in the program], to become someone that people could trust to lead them, to listen to them and someone who would put this program above themselves.

At first I thought that I was only helping the dogs; however in time it was the dogs and the ladies around me that were healing me. I truly felt whole again and that is a feeling that I had not felt in many years. The program's motto is "Saving More Than Dogs," and never have those words been truer! Over 2-1/2 years I graduated over a dozen dogs while in the program, but in all reality you could say that it took a dozen dogs and 100’s of ladies to heal and graduate me into the person that I am today. The person that I can now look at in the mirror and recognize. I found a passion in life while reconnecting with myself and learning what my life is truly all about. The program helped me to rebuild and better myself. I am now giving back all I can. Now I work as the Social Media Manager for the Paws In Prison Program!

Let me introduce you to Reign. Reign is definitely still a puppy at only 16 months old. She is a great dog that is looking for a family to call her own. I have had the privilege of working with Reign since she was 3½ months old. She is eager to please, loves to work and learn. She is ready to settle into an environment where she can feel loved and secure.

Reign needs a family that will continue her training at home or with a trainer. She does well in a crate, and doesn’t tear up her bedding like most puppies do. We recently started training her in a sport called barn hunt and she seems very interested in the pairing of the scents with treats. She is happy to work for you or to just be with you.

I had her in the barn while other dogs were hunting and she was quiet and happy just to be near me. Unfortunately Reign hasn’t had the easiest life. We saved her from euthanasia at a very young age. She went from living in a shelter to the prison. When it became clear that prison wasn't the best environment for her, she was moved to the kennels at K9 Country Club. She was a rock star in her prison obedience training, and still, at 16 months old, she loves to work and please. Reign is ready to take her place in your family, to be a part of something bigger..... she is ready to Reign over your life with love and goofiness.

Many of us played this game growing up. In this version your dog’s butt will be calling the shots. When his butt is on the ground the reward will be that the person walking towards him will continue to move forward (green light). When the dog's butt is not on the ground (when the dog stand up), the person walking towards the dog will freeze (red light). Ideally this is best done with two people but if you are doing it alone, simply tether your dog to something. The video below demonstrates this training tip.

Step one: Start about 15 feet from your dog. Then after your dog sits politely, another person starts moving towards him. But when he stands up you say, “red light,” and the person stops moving forward until the dog sits again. The first few times, and it will take patience, your dog will soon learn that sitting and waiting politely is what gets the rewards.

Step two: After your dog starts understanding what you want from him, you can add in new things to bring a challenge to the game such as new toys or someone new that really excites him.

This is a great game to play to help build value for your puppy to want to be with you as well as working on impulse control. Impulse control helps create good manners and teaches your dog to be polite and to look to you for guidance.

Does your dog exhibit fever, coughing, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, exercise intolerance, or fluid accumulation? Contact your vet immediately—it could be Chagas disease. Chagas disease affects millions of people and dogs in the Americas.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It infects more than 4 million dogs in the U.S., with approximately 650,000 in Texas alone. T. cruzi is spread by triatomine bugs, also known as kissing bugs. Dogs living outdoors are especially vulnerable to the bugs and also can be exposed to T. cruzi through contact with blood or by consuming infected wildlife. The T. cruzi parasite can be found in mammals—including raccoons, coyotes, gray foxes, bobcats, feral hogs, bats, cats, rabbits, opossums, armadillos, and rodents.

We're sorry if we omitted any names from those of you who helped us in any capacity in the month of JULY, but we do not always know the names of our Paws in Prison angels!

Please let us know who you are if we missed thanking you by sending an email to: Donations@pawsinprison.com so we can personally let you know how grateful we are for your help.

If you are able to foster Braidee during her recovery, please contact Adoptions@pawsinprison.com.

Monthly Donations, no matter the size, help us know what we can count on each month. Thanks to the following folks who give recurring monthly donations: