It is interesting to read about the therapy dogs which visit hospitals and cheer up persons who may be sick and dying. I think it is also great of the handlers who probably feel empathy with the patients to take the dogs to do the visits.
And therapy dogs who help children, who have problems communicating even with their own family, by bonding with them and helping them control tandrums and help fit these children better in society.
And, of course, the therapy dogs who are so sensitive that they can be trained to alert humans when conditions like fits are about to happen. Dogs who can be trained as a guide for blind humans, those with hearing impairments and also dogs who are trained to assist handicapped people in their homes.
From as early as 1981, in the Washington State Correctional Centre for Women, dogs were being used to help rehabilate prisoners. Inmates have been used to train dogs which are then released to disabled people. I’m sure that these prisoners would have learnt new skills and maybe developed better self esteem as they would have helped other people by training the dogs for them. And, most of them, would have bonded with the dog they trained but would have had to give up as part of the programme. Places like Coffee Creek Correctional Facility also have a programme where inmates can work and train dogs.
But giving inmates a dog to stroke to prevent them from damaging cells is an interesting thought.
I believe the profiles of some sociopaths highlight the fact that they may not even like animals and, if given the chance, may torture and kill animals before they carry out their assaults and murders on humans.
So I was surprised to see in an article in the “Daily Mail” which was sent to me that a young Bouvier Des Flandres dog is at HM prison Hindley, a young offenders’ institute in the UK. Daily Mail article here
This Bouvier is supposed to help calm the prisoners’ rages through allowing them to pet the Bouvier. I understand from posts that I have been reading that the Bouvier is owned by a guard and the guard would not leave the Bouvier unsupervised.
Some of these prisoners are thought to have mental health issues and Hindley is known to house violent young criminals, including those who are in there for murder of other young people.
In prisons today, the criminals have tv., exercise rooms, can do educational programmes, can complain about meal plans and now I am seeing that they, as in Hindley, are getting a dog to pet. 🙂
I agree that some young criminals under correct guidance and counselling, can contribute to society and do have remorse for their crimes.
I would hope that the Bouvier Barney is very closely monitored as from reading about that facility, he could be walking a dangerous path among very sick minds with so much built up anger that petting a dog might not help them and I would hope that this dog and its owner/handler who is looking to help, do not pay a price which might result in injury to the dog, or the dog having to defend itself, and in that case, injury to its attacker.
Tags: therapy dogs
