A Unique, Inspirational Prison Dog
Training Program
SAVING MORE THAN DOGS SINCE 2007
Issue 40 - November 2023
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1. What is this dog?
2. Honoring Ms. L, the Paws in Prison Director
3. Update: Pet Fest Postponed to Sunday November 5
4. What is a healthy weight for your dog?
5. Bonding with your dog
6. Billy's DNA
7. We Give You Thanks
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FRIENDS OF PAWS IN PRISON GIVES THANKS FOR ALL OF YOU. WITHOUT YOUR LOYAL SUPPORT WE COULD NOT KEEP ON SAVING MORE THAN DOGS! |
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Meet Billy, the cute little guy who was picked up by animal control in the Canyon Lake area a few months ago. Billy was adopted by Tanya who also has a 15 year old Dachshund. Tanya tells us that Billy has given new life to her old dog and is a very happy, polite and friendly dog.
Billy was so adorable that one of the Paws in Prison staff wanted him! So the question for you is, what breed(s) would you guess Billy is?
You'll have to go to the end of this newsletter to find out!
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2. Honoring the Paws in Prison Director
by board members Debbie Berry and Diane Baines
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We are proud to have Catherine Laria as the Executive Director and Head
Trainer of Paws in Prison. But she’s so much more than her title. Read on
to see how Catherine, who the inmates refer to as Ms. L, forms a bond with
them that leads to positive impacts on their lives, both inside and after
being released.
Following the death of the founder of Paws in Prison Machelle, aka Miss
G in 2019, Catherine volunteered to take over on an emergency basis, and
was later hired in 2020 to lead the program. Traveling 3 hours round trip
each visit, through covid shutdowns and chaos, Catherine saw a way to
make the very first all-women’s dog program into something so much more
than it already was. She has now created a program focusing on
rehabilitation, not only for the shelter dogs rescued, but for the women who
are willing to work to change their lives, increasing each participant’s
chance of advancing into a career in the animal care industry when they
are paroled.
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Catherine’s influence on our parolees has had far reaching effects as she
continues to offer them mentoring and guidance once released. To better
express this, here are some testimonials from the inmates currently in the
program.
“Ms. L cares for us as well as the dogs. She’s not judgmental because
we’re prisoners and believes in giving us second chances.”
“She is understanding and listens if you have a problem, she helps us
come up with our own training solutions for the dogs and think
outside of the box.”
“She has a kind heart; her corrections are on point, never offensive.”
“All my life I took and took and took. Ms. L is teaching me what it
means to give back.”
“She is a strong and independent woman who sets a great example for us.”
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We could go on and on telling you of Catherine’s accomplishments as a
person, business owner, dog trainer and leader, but as you can see from these testimonials, Catherine Laria means a lot more to the women participating in the PIP program…mentor, role model, a positive influence,
teacher and optimist…all of which have a great impact on the inmates who are looking to improve their lives upon release.
Catherine Laria’s dedication to the Paws in Prison program is strong and unwavering. The inmates, parolees, dogs, and adopters are all beneficiaries of her leadership. For that, and so much more, we all extend a huge THANK YOU to Catherine and are grateful to have her on our team!
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3. PALS Pet Fest was Postponed to
Sunday, November 5
at San Marcos Plaza Park
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Pet Fest, sponsored by PALS - Prevent a Litter of Central Texas - is celebrating its 21st annual Pet Fest on Sunday, November 5 (rescheduled from October 29 due to weather). Come say hello at the Paws in Prison booth where we will have a free gift for you!
PALS promotes responsible pet ownership, shelter pet adoptions, local rescue groups and most importantly, the continued efforts to have all pets spayed and neutered with zero pets in shelters! Pet Fest is a free family friendly festival to raise awareness as well as funds to help those in need to help care for and fix their pets. There is no cost to attend, but please bring pet food to help feed pets in shelters.
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4. What is a healthy weight for your dog?
(Information researched from Purina and AKC online articles)
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Paws in Prison, established in 2007, is seeing some of those early adopted dogs crossing over the rainbow bridge. We love our dogs and want to have them with us for as long as possible, and one way is by making sure they maintain a healthy weight. As with humans, weight is one of the most important concerns when it comes to your dog’s health. Factors like diet and exercise in the right amounts can keep your dog at an ideal weight. There are three simple ways to tell if your dog’s weight is "normal" as demonstrated in this video.
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Just cancel the ad that comes up to watch this 2:40 video by the Purina Institute that demonstrates how to check your dog's body to determine their ideal weight. |
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- Evaluate the Ribs
- Evaluate the Waist
- Evaluate the Abdomen
Since dogs come in so many different breeds and sizes, it’s impossible to identify an average weight for all dogs. Weight may also depend on the dog’s sex and whether they’ve been fixed. Although many resources provide an average weight range for different breeds, the weight range is often broad. Plus, these ranges often don’t take the dog’s sex and other factors into consideration.
For example, a typical weight range you might see for a Labrador Retriever is 55 to 80 pounds. That’s a wide range, and most female Labs should not weigh 80 pounds. Weight ranges also don’t account for the many mixed breed dogs, such as most of the ones adopted by Paws in Prison. Just because the typical range for a Lab is 55 to 80 pounds doesn’t mean your Lab mix will or should fall within that range. It depends on the other breeds mixed with your dog. Further, what if you don’t know the breed makeup of your mixed-breed dog? What then? Most resources say to use the dominant breed, but even then, you’re guessing at what that is, unless, like Billy, you have had your dogs DNA tested. An average dog weight or range doesn’t work for mixed breeds.
The problem is that we often don’t know what “normal” is when it comes to dogs. One study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2018 found that being overweight was associated with a shorter lifespan in the 12 dog breeds studied. The estimated reduction in lifespan for the overweight group was up to two-and-a-half years. So please consider checking your beloved fur babies and make certain you are not over or under feeding them, and making sure they receive regular exercise. There are many food choices out there - ask your veterinarian for recommendations.
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Paws in prison doesn't just move on after you adopt a dog from us. We care about you and how your pup is doing and fitting in with you and your family. That's one reason why we do home visits and meet and greets. Dogs who have been living in a prison environment will find the transition to a home environment very different. But it’s not unusual for humans—whether they’ve just brought a dog home or have lived with them for years—to feel like they’d like their bond with their pup to be stronger. |
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Many sources cite the “3-3-3 rule” for dogs who move into a new home: three days of feeling disoriented, three weeks to settle in, and three months to feel secure and bonded when they become themselves. A dog will need time and space to get comfortable and there’s no telling how long it will take for any pup to feel like part of the family. They all have different histories, which we really don't know much about before they came into Paws in Prison. So your dog may adjust to your home faster than expected, or more slowly. You have to be patient and let them adjust at their pace. However there are things you can do to help that bonding experience, even with dogs who have been in your home a long time. They may bond with one person in the family but not as much with another.
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SPEND TIME WITH YOUR DOG. This seems obvious, but after the excitement of a new dog wears off, a dog can become like the furniture in your home. Dog behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar describes a bonding cycle that takes place. “When you say "good boy, you’re a good dog," Dr. Dunbar says, “your dog’s tail wags, his butt waggles, and he gets a blast of dopamine and oxytocin. When you see your dog’s butt waggle, you get a blast of oxytocin and dopamine.” Hanging out with your dog and telling him you love him can create a feedback loop that makes you both want to be around each other more. So of course this means you must spend time with your dog, not just when your dog is new to your home, but during his lifetime as a family member. You and your dog can enjoy each other taking walks, playing together, and time teaching them fun tricks or behavior modification skills if they have some quirks that need work. |
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New York dog trainer Yuruani Olguin emphasizes training to help people and dogs become closer. As long as the dog is having a good time - getting reinforced with treats and praise for a job well done, and going at a pace that doesn’t put them under stress - this should work regardless of what you’re training. “The bond has to be there for working on any kind of behavioral challenge like aggression, fear, or anxiety,” says Olguin. “All those things require a strong bond before the dog can trust you in a stressful situation.” |
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People often ask if it's hard on the inmates and the dogs to be separated from each other after they are adopted. The Lockhart Ladies know that they are giving these dogs a second chance at a good life and that they played a major role in making that happen.
There will be another dog who needs them coming soon after their pup is adopted, and they get to do it all over again. And their pup, after the chaotic prison environment, will have the opportunity to be part of a new loving home where they will spend the rest of their days as they are given time to bond with their new forever family.
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WOW, Billy really is an all American dog! How many did you get right?
We would love to have a photo and DNA results for any of your dogs. Just send your information to:
JERI.PAWSINPRISON@GMAIL.COM
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7. We Give You Thanks
We're sorry if we omitted any names from those of you who helped us in any capacity in the month of OCTOBER, but we do not always know the names of our Paws in Prison angels!
Eileen R, Nina R, Edward E, Diane B, Vickiann R, Jaime A,
Lisa S., Nathan R, Benevity (American Online Giving), Jeri M,
Marilyn and Day M, William R, Michael B, Facebook Donation,
Edward D, Ilene A, Deborah B., 2 Anonymous Donations
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:
Daniel H, Marcus L, Debbie M, Jennifer K,
Shelly R, Heather W, Diana S.
Did we miss thanking you? We don't always know the names of our giving angels (Benevity and Facebook doesn't send us names).
Please let us know who you are by sending an email to:
Donations@pawsinprison.com
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Mailing Address:
1711 S Colorado ST., Suite E-204,
Lockhart, Texas 78644
Phone: (833) 341-3523
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