A Unique, Inspirational Prison Dog
Training Program
SAVING MORE THAN DOGS SINCE 2007

Issue 28 - October 2022
IN THIS ISSUE
  1. AND THE WINNERS ARE....
  2. TWO SUPER FUN OCTOBER DOG EVENTS
  3. MEET PIP "GRADUATE" KAY ROSENKRANZ
  4. MEET EARL - ADOPTABLE DOG OF THE MONTH
  5. HALLOWEEN DOG SAFETY
  6. WE GIVE YOU THANKS
These cute critters were the top 12 winners in the Cutest Critter Photo Contest and will be featured in our 2023 Cutest Critter Calendar, free to the winners but for sale to everyone else. To learn more about the contest go to the Paws in Prison website - maybe you will enter your cutest critter next year!
2. TWO SUPER FUN DOG EVENTS
OCTOBER 22, 10AM - 4PM in SAN MARCOS, TEXAS
Pet Prevent A Litter (PALS) of Central Texas is hosting their 20th Annual Pet Fest on October 22, 2022 to promote responsible pet ownership, shelter pet adoptions, local rescue groups (like Paws in Prison!), and most importantly the continued efforts to have all pets spayed and neutered and zero pets in shelters. Pet Fest is a free, family-friendly festival that's designed to raise awareness as well as raise funds to help those in need to care for and fix their pets. PALS celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Pet Fest - saving lives through spay and neuter efforts.

Dog Contests & Races | Rescue Groups
K9 Demonstrations | Live Music
Silent Auctions | Raffles
Blessings of the Pets | Kiddie Crafts
Chicken Poop Bingo | Pet Microchipping
Photo Opportunities | Vendors
Photos with Live Mermaid | Food Booths

Come enjoy the fun with other pet lovers!

Come visit our booth - we'll have a gift for you while supplies last.
October 29, 10AM - 5PM, in Austin
A Day You and Your Pup Will Never Forget
Puptopia Festival is the first "amazement park" for dogs and their human parents. It encompasses everything that makes dogs happy and makes owners happy to have a dog! Tickets are required to attend. Be sure to come by our booth - we have a gift for you while supplies last!

3 - MEET PIP "GRADUATE" KAY ROSENKRANZ
Kay Rosenkranz was born in Houston, Texas to highly educated parents in a high achieving family. As a young girl she was involved in many athletic and scholastic activities, excelling in every area. As scholastic demands increased, so did her use of stimulant drugs, because, as she states, "Performance enhancement was a perfectly normal function of an over-achieving family. Being introduced to diet pills my first year of college seemed only natural."

As a University of Texas college student in the late 1960s, she became a political activist involved in feminism, Viet Nam protests, and environmental issues, but passed on smoking marijuana responding, "no thanks, I am high on life." She became a self-described "hippie radical," dropping out of school at UT where she had become heavily involved in the music scene where drug use was common.

She had to figure out a way to support herself so she worked various odd jobs and discovered that she could supplement her income by selling performance enhancers. That led to years of many "oops" in her life - "oops, this stuff is addictive; oops, I had to move every 6 months [as a drug dealer]; oops, people were dying; oops, we were big business and the lifestyle was hugely addictive; then oops, you notice you are using more than you are selling and people went to prison." Kay says that her oops stories could fill several books!

Ten years before Kay went to prison she was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. She could not find a purpose or meaning in her life. She began to cry out to God to show her a path. Her final prison stop after several drug-related arrests was at the Lockhart prison where she thrived in the Paws in Prison program. Training the dogs restored her sense of self-worth and her self-esteem. She spent 3-1/2 years of a 4-year sentence in the Paws program. During that time she said she rearranged her priorities, learned to set boundaries, and developed coping mechanisms. The program demanded accountability by being responsible for the life and happiness of another living creature. The dorm participants had to learn to work as a team. Each of their actions reflected on the overall stability of the program and their own personal journey. She was assigned as secretary of the program, holding strategy meetings with the inmates, whom she now refers to as her PIP sisters.
After she was paroled she missed the camaraderie of the program participants and says, "I desperately missed having a leash in my hand. I needed a canine connection. I was determined to find my way back to rescue." Two months after release she got involved with From the Heart Rescue, where she became a foster mom then a transport coordinator. They gave her a 5-week-old special needs pup, Scooter, to foster. As you can see, Scooter was born without front paws. Kay ended up adopting that precious pup! Scooter has gone over the rainbow bridge, but was the third place Cutest Critter contest winner!

Kay has many amazing stories about her life. Today she is still involved in animal welfare. She lives in El Paso, Tx, but would love to make her way back to Lockhart as a volunteer with Paws in Prison. She concluded our interview by saying, "Thank you Paws in Prison for setting me on this path!"
4. MEET DOG OF THE MONTH - EARL
Our favorite Blue Lacy mix, Earl, is thriving in his foster home! Enjoy this report from his foster mom, who has had him for less than 3 weeks!

"Earl graduated from his program at Paws in Prison with straight A's! He loved the people in the program and all the other dogs, especially the little ones. But life in the prison was hard on Earl, and after a while the noise, chaos, and unexpected visitors that are all part of prison life really began to bother him. His tail was constantly tucked as he waited for the next "scary" thing to happen. He looks black in the photo above, but he is actually a beautiful silver gray.
Earl's training team and the Board of Directors decided that he needed another environment in which to thrive. Earl joined a household with two confident dogs and two friendly cats. He no longer has his tail tucked, and plays happily and politely with the other animals. He has even been seen grooming the cats. He accepts any signs of dominance the other pets may give him, and has settled into the household routine and his position in the hierarchy. He sleeps in his crate in the bedroom with the door open, and enjoys the family couch in the quiet evenings. Earl really likes the quiet, uneventful country living.

While Earl may never be comfortable in public settings, at home he is a cuddler! He is still afraid of strange people, and we are working on that with visits from friends who want to help. He also seems to have issues with people beyond the fence, and that is a work in progress. No doubt Earl has a story of his past that he can't tell. Earl just needs a home of his own where life is simple with routine, constant love, and reinforcement to gain the confidence that he needs to bloom even more!"

THIS FANTASTIC DOG IS READY AND WAITING FOR ADOPTION!! YOU CAN FILL OUT AN ADOPTION APPLICATION FOR HIM NOW!
5. HALLOWEEN DOG SAFETY
by Paws in Prison Director Catherine Laria

For our four-legged pals a "treat" can become a terrible "trick," even deadly. Not every pet enjoys the excitement of the holidays. It's our job as their caretakers to be aware of how they may react to situations. Visitors, people roaming the streets in scary costumes, kids screaming and running can all have a lasting negative effect on your pet. Here are some safety tips to follow during Halloween:
  • NO candy: As much as they beg, remember chocolate is dangerous. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, even seizures. Candies containing xylitol can be poisonous and deadly, even in small amounts. Ingesting tin foil/cellophane wrappers can cause an intestinal blockage.
  • Don't leave your pets in the yard. Sadly stories of pets being teased, injured, stolen, even killed on Halloween are real. This time of year can be especially deadly for black cats. If you can't keep them secure in your house, consider boarding them for the night.
  • Watch lit pumpkins: Pets can knock them over causing a fire or run the risk of getting burned.
  • Dressing your pet up can be very stressful. Make sure the costume isn't constricting or unsafe. Don't obstruct their vision. Even the sweetest dog can get snappy when they can't see what's going on around them. If he doesn't act like his normal happy, tail-wagging self in a costume, take it off.
  • You could keep your pet in a separate room during trick-or-treat hours. Strangers in costumes can be scary. Plus, you run the risk of your cat or dog darting out into the street.
  • Be sure your pet's collars/IDs are secure. Even if they don't normally wear one, this would be an important night to do so. If there is an accidental escape, identification will increase the chances of them getting back home.
6. WE GIVE YOU THANKS
We're sorry if we omitted any names from those of you who have helped us in any capacity in SEPTEMBER 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.

Samuel L, Bonnie F, Andrea S, Nancy L, Adam B, Ramona J, Susan L, Daniel H, Andy M, Lauren S, Amazon Smile, Facebook, Bark Box, Jeri M, Janis G, Tia M, Diane B, Jennifer K, Jaclyn H, Jean M, Janice M, Debra B, Kim L, Mike B, Tammy S, Jaymi E, Andrew B, Erika H, Marilyn B, Kirsten C, Kay R, Tamara W, Tina P, Jill R, and all those who voted in the Cutest Critter Photo Contest

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., Debbie B., Diana S., Shelly R., Heather W.

Because of YOU, we are SAVING MORE THAN DOGS!
Mailing Address:
1711 S Colorado ST., Suite E-204,
Lockhart, Texas 78644
Phone: (833) 341-3523