Stanley – On Wednesday, March 4, Stanley Correctional Institution (SCI) and Can Do Canines celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their PAWS (Prisoners Assisting with Service Dogs) Service Dog Training Program. The celebration at SCI included training demonstrations from current SCI handlers and some words from both SCI and Can Do Canines staff members, as well as handlers who have been in the program since the beginning.

In a thank-you video posted on social media, Can Do Canines Executive Director Jeff Johnson shared, “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all of you at Stanley. Staff and handlers, you’ve made this program what it is today. You’ve all shown such dedication to our mission of creating these amazing partnerships and literally transforming people’s lives. We’re so proud of our relationship with Stanley, and I hope you’re proud of the tremendous impact you’re having on so many lives.” Tori Thompson, the Can Do Canines Puppy Program Instructor who teaches the SCI handlers, also shared her gratitude in the video.

Over this past decade, 283 individual dogs have been part of 310 training stays at SCI (some repeatedly). A total of 188 handlers have participated in SCI’s PAWS Program. Currently, there are 34 handlers and 12 dogs at SCI: 24 primary handlers (2 per dog) and 10 dog sitters. Two Can Do Canines graduate teams (handler and certified assistance dog) also attended the program: Kathy and Mobility Assist Dog Harvey and Valerie and Mobility Assist Dog Gaelen. Both Harvey and Gaelen received training at SCI, and Harvey is among SCI’s “Great Eight,” the first eight dogs that went through the program.

Can Do Canines, based in New Hope, Minn., currently partners with nine prisons in Minnesota and Wisconsin: Duluth, Faribault, Rochester, Sandstone, and Waseca, Minn., and Black River Falls, Chippewa Falls, Fox Lake, and Stanley, Wis. In early 2016, when Can Do Canines dogs began training in SCI, it began the first Wisconsin prison partnership for the nonprofit. A Can Do Canines staff member makes weekly visits to each prison facility, providing training instruction to the handlers, who will help the dogs learn obedience skills and basic assistance dog skills.

Both dogs and the people participating in the program benefit from this unique partnership. The dogs receive exceptional 24/7 care and attention and exit the prison environment with well-honed skills. Numerous handlers have shared that this experience has changed their lives, helping them become more responsible and compassionate and giving them a clearer sense of purpose.

Can Do Canines trains six different types of dogs: those to help clients who live with disabilities that involve mobility challenges, hearing loss or deafness, seizure disorders, diabetes complicated by hypoglycemia unawareness, or childhood autism, as well as facility dogs that are placed in locations such as hospitals or with community service providers.

For more information about Can Do Canines, visit candocanines.org.