[IceyBlueSibes]

Inmates give rescued dogs special care Rootstown group places animals for training at Trumbull prison

By Mike Sever
Record-Courier staff writer

In the large, sun-filled room, five men walked with leashed dogs in a large circle. The five pairs stopped, the men spoke the command to "sit" and the dogs sat or laid down, waiting for the next command.

Not an unusual event for a dog obedience class. What is unusual is that this class is inside the Trumbull Correctional Institute outside Warren and the trainers are all serving time for various offenses.

The Ohio Department of Corrections has dog training programs in most of its correctional facilities as part of its community service.

This is the first time Rose's Rescue, a private non-profit dog and cat shelter in Rootstown, has taken part in the training program.

Rose Sachs of Rose's Rescue said she is enthusiastic about it. Her private shelter works with a small corps of volunteers and she keeps about 20 dogs at the shelter and a few more at foster homes.

The dogs, generally strays or rescues from the Portage County dog pound, are tested for interaction with other animals and humans as well as getting checked by a veterinarian.

Bill Oliver, owner of Custom Canine in Hinckley, provides the professional training advice. Oliver comes in weekly to work with the men and women in their separate facilities, which house a total of 973 men and 356 women. In the women's camp, the women trainers put their charges through their moves. Oliver approved of their progress.

The women smiled when he said of the dogs, "They are like night and day from when they came in here. They have improved tremendously."

The state provides no financial support for the dogs. Rose's Rescue supplies all their food and accessories. Anyone interested in adopting a dog can review the available animals online.

Investigator Sharon Chilson, who facilitates the dog program at the Trumbull facility, said employees donate some items, such as training leashes.

Chilson said she's seen dramatic changes in the offenders and the dogs.

Some of the men won't address employees directly, won't look up. Working with the dogs draws them out, gives them something to care for, Chilson said.

"Now they have a reason to talk with people. I've seen it improve their social skills tremendously," she said.

Offenders are carefully selected for the program and know that any misbehavior will get them dropped from it.

Since the dogs live in the cells with the men, each dog has two trainers, plus a backup trainer in case one of the men is unavailable.

Tim Stine of Wooster was working with Vicki, a small beagle mix with long, shiny hair.

Stine said the dog is "real high energy, but would be good with kids." "She's a big baby," Stine said, then demonstrated how Vicki can "dance" on her back legs.

Nearby, Charles Smith puts Sport through her routine of tricks. "She knows how to do a high five, a shake down and a roll over" in addition to the basic obedience commands, Smith said. Some of the men have been training dogs for several years.

In the nearby women's camp the situation is similar. But the women live in one large dormitory room, so dogs must be quieter.

That's what got Marley, a handsome Great Dane-hound mix, transferred from the women to the men.

"Marley likes to talk to everyone, he's very vocal" Chilson said. Marley greets all the men and dogs, and especially when trainer Oliver arrived.

Like the chatty youngster in the back of the class, Marley made small, anxious noises throughout the training session.

Of the 10 dogs in this first class for Rose's Rescue, only Marley and Leonardo, a young black and tan coonhound mix, are without new families at this point.

The offenders are anxious to know their dogs are getting adopted. There are smiles all around when they hear that nearly all are headed for new homes, and they are concerned that Marley may have to go to a foster home before he gets a home.

Graduation for the first group was set for Jan. 18 and Sachs has another group of dogs ready to go.