Everyone knows that a dog is a man's best friend for a reason. But what if the dog doesn't have a man to be his best friend? That's what Canine CellMates aims to do.
A prison in America has just recently come up with a brilliant way of using the bond between dogs and humans to change the lives of both the inmates' and the dogs' for the better. Unilad reports:
"The team at Canine CellMates have set up the scheme in which each prisoner is matched up with a dog awaiting adoption, with the pair keeping each other company 24/7 and the inmate training his allotted canine as part of a work scheme.
"As reported by CNN, the program allows the abandoned animals time to get used to a strange new environment, while the training means they are more likely to find a family willing to adopt them in the future."
It's definitely a win-win situation, as the dogs increase their chances of adoption, inmates learn a thing or two that benefit themselves as well.
Canine CellMates executive director Susan Jacobs-Meadows said:
"Most of these guys gave up believing that there was very much of value to them a long time ago. But when that dog loves them and trusts them, that starts to change how they feel about themselves."
As it turns out, the canines have a great calming influence on the inmates, in addition to other positive impact. An inmate named Troy explains:
"The bond that me and Fred have - he came to a place where he was going to be put to death and I came from a place that was on the bad side. If Fred can have an opportunity to go to a good home and he can change in the environment that we're in, that makes me want to change the environment that I'm in. that means I can do better also."
If you like this story, or think that more prisons should adopt the same scheme, share the story on your Facebook, Twitter or other social media pages. Help spread the word and let's help make a difference.
