A little-known but highly successful and internationally acclaimed program benefitting three different constituencies has been cut. We wonder: how can this bad bureacratic behavior be corrected?
Correctional Service of Canada has pulled the plug on a unique dog training program at the women’s prison in Truro, leaving its outgoing director distraught for the inmates, the animals and future recipients of the highly trained animals. The Pawsitive Directions Canine Program at the federal Nova Institute for Women had jailed women caring for and teaching obedience to shelter dogs to be paired with disabled clients.
Heather Logan, who has run the program under contract with the prison since 1996, said she told administrators in mid-November that she would retire in six weeks but her trained replacement was in place to keep the program going. Instead, she was shocked to learn that administrators had axed the program, lauded for its success in helping inmates learn highly marketable skills and rescuing dogs from shelters to help those with special needs.
“This is devastating,” Ms. Logan said Thursday from her home in Upper Stewiacke. “There are woman and dogs and children being hurt by this action.”
There were six dogs in various stages of the program, with one just three months away from being certified as a service dog. Prince had been paired with a boy from Onslow, but it is unknown if the training will be completed.
Ms. Logan has heard a rescue group in Halifax has been asked to find homes for the dogs.
The program director, her trained assistant Cathie Bell and the inmates were informed of the decision late last week and this week.
Calls to the correctional service and prison administrators in Truro were not returned on Thursday.
Ms. Logan said she doesn’t know why the program has been discontinued.
“Up to this point, I’ve not had a bad relationship with (prison administrators).”
She said if cost had been the issue, she had proposed running the program at a lower rate as a correctional service employee and not as a contractor, but the plan was not accepted.
The dog behaviourist, who teaches courses at the University of Prince Edward Island and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, said the prison probably axed the program now because she had to step down a few weeks early for medical reasons.
But Ms. Logan said she had assured the prison that Ms. Bell, who works and volunteers for Pawsitive Directions several times a week, was ready to take over.
“I had no intention of leaving my women or my program high and dry.”
Ms. Bell, who first met Ms. Logan several years ago when she was looking for a dog for a nursing home, confirms that she was more than willing to step in, even just temporarily if the prison wanted to put someone else in charge. She is equally distraught about the change. “I’m upset about what I feel they’re doing to these women and the families who need these dogs,” Ms. Bell said Thursday.
Mel Harris, who is originally from Truro but lives in Labrador City, said his family’s been thrilled with their now 12-year-old border collie mix Lucky, who they adopted in 1998 as a companion for daughter Lynn, who has cerebral palsy. He said Lucky was less than 24 hours from being put to death at a shelter when rescued by Ms. Logan.
“Lynn took to him right away,” he said Thursday. “He’s a member of the family.”
Mr. Harris, who joined a Facebook group devoted to lobbying the correctional service to overturn the decision and has also written directly to the government agency, said he was sad to learn Pawsitive Directions had been axed.
“I had no intention of leaving my women or my program high and dry.”
Ms. Bell, who first met Ms. Logan several years ago when she was looking for a dog for a nursing home, confirms that she was more than willing to step in, even just temporarily if the prison wanted to put someone else in charge. She is equally distraught about the change. “I’m upset about what I feel they’re doing to these women and the families who need these dogs,” Ms. Bell said Thursday.
Mel Harris, who is originally from Truro but lives in Labrador City, said his family’s been thrilled with their now 12-year-old border collie mix Lucky, who they adopted in 1998 as a companion for daughter Lynn, who has cerebral palsy. He said Lucky was less than 24 hours from being put to death at a shelter when rescued by Ms. Logan.
“Lynn took to him right away,” he said Thursday. “He’s a member of the family.”
Mr. Harris, who joined a Facebook group devoted to lobbying the correctional service to overturn the decision and has also written directly to the government agency, said he was sad to learn Pawsitive Directions had been axed.
“The program was a win-win situation for everybody involved,” he said. “I don’t know who’s making the decision, but it doesn’t seem to make sense.”Fifteen inmates at a time took part in the three-tier obedience program that took two and a half years to complete. In the latter part of the program, the women worked with the future recipients of the service dogs.
When released from prison, the women have gone on to work at veterinary offices, dog daycares, kennels and even zoos. Ms. Logan said one former inmate now owns and operates a successful dog day care and boarding facility.
She said prison administrators told participating inmates on Wednesday that they wanted to provide different vocational training.
“The whole point of a vocational program is to get employment that is full-time, is meaningful and keeps the women out of prison. That’s what the canine program has done.”
The director said the decision is even more puzzling considering that the prison built a new wing for the program with a dog bath and outdoor play area. But in hindsight, she said the area has been finished since August and her group had never been allowed to use it.
(plee@herald.ca)
Once again, a government agency that doesn't live up to its own commitments without bothering to say why. Hard to see CSC's wisdom in cutting this special program, especially after it funded the construction of a purpose-built wing. Why penalize success?
Why this highly acclaimed program has been relatively unknown here in NS is also a mystery. We already knew about it, but not many of our dog-loving friends did. Now it might be gone for good.
We can't help but hope that somehow the decision to cancel this program will turn out to be bureaucratic mix-up. Maybe they really meant to cancel something else, like the underwater basket-weaving program at the men's prison. If so, we hope this error can be swiftly corrected, so that the two- and four-legged creatures benefitting from it won't be disappointed.
We also feel, under the circumstances, no rescue group ought to help re-home these dogs. Instead, how great would it be if all the rescue groups in the province would come forward to urge the authorities to keep the program, so that the boy in Onslow, and others like him, won't lose their chance for a special companion?
Let's train ourselves to do better!
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)
Focus on … Restorative Justice
Restorative justice is a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to justice that emphasizes healing in victims, meaningful accountability of offenders, and the involvement of citizens in creating healthier, safer communities.
It gives all parties involved in a conflict the opportunity to take an active role in a safe and respectful process that allows open dialogue between the victim, offender and the community.
About Heather A. Logan
In 1995, Corrections Services Canada invited Heather to design and implement a dog-training program for Nova Institution, the Federal Prison for Women, in Truro, Nova Scotia. Pawsitive Directions Canine Program involves much more than training assistance dogs. Heather also teaches inmates to incorporate the principles of operant conditioning behaviour analysis into all areas of their lives.
This program has been highlighted in Dogs in Canada, Dogs with Jobs, Readers Digest and a recently released book, More Great Dog Stories. Heather’s work has been profiled on television programs such as Fifth Estate, Live at Five and Dogs with Jobs. Pawsitive Directions Canine Program has been highlighted as a top prison program in Canada for the years 2000 to present and in December 2005 became the only program to be highlighted at the International Corrections Program Symposium in Paris, France.
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