A New Path: Key Role of Inmates in Training Psychiatric Service Dogs

Healing Companions, a 501 (c)(3) organization, serves mentally ill residents of Northeast Ohio and changes the lives of shelter dogs – adopted and trained to become Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs), persons experiencing a mental disorder – providing them with a PSD, and inmates – who train the dogs their basic skills to be more adoptable and when qualified placed as psychiatric service dogs in training while the inmates gain job skills and “soft skills” to help them obtain employment and contribute to the community upon release.
In this clip, you’ll hear from an inmate who trains the shelter dogs their basic skills — helping them to become more adoptable by addressing behavior issues and qualifying them to become trained as PSDs. Since becoming part of the Healing Companions training program, he has discovered a passion for training dogs. He now wants to become a dog trainer and behavior consultant. We are helping him and other inmates interested in this path by inviting presenters to educate them about their business options once they re-enter the workforce.