Paws 4 Trust, Therapy Dogs for Troubled Youth

[animallady]

Good Morning America carried this story today. Three working members of Paws 4 Trust (founded by Jeanne Schoech) are providing emotional therapy for girls at the Excelsior Youth Program in rural Colorado. The residents, victims of abuse, neglect or both, meet with their furry therapists for 2 hours weekly. The girls, who have problems with trust issues, anger management & depression, tell GMA about the benefits they receive from their new therapists. "...it's just there to kiss you and hug you and you don't have to worry about it judging you because it doesn't" Two of the 3 dogs have histories similar to those of their human patients. Winston was rescued from a shelter. Brando was neglected & abused before he was adopted. Print & video at
ABC news GMA web page. (My link didn't work.)

[SavannahStar]

Wow, what a wonderful program! :zm10:

Do any of you remember a while back, it was on the news about some program a bit similar.....only I think it was at a prison for adults.....where inmates were "given" a dog as a puppy and were completely in charge of them (with supervision of course) for their training, etc.?

There is just NOTHING like an animal's unconditional love and acceptance and trust to do a magnificent job of helping to turn around a person.

Of course, some people can't be turned around completely, but nevertheless ANY program such as these, with animals, is bound to reap rewards.

[Roamer]

I do remember that, SS. Wasn't it on Animal Planet?

Yes, there's nothing better in the world than to have the complete love and trust of our fur babies. They've made a difference in so many lives.

[SavannahStar]

Roamer, it may well have been on Animal Planet.....but what I do remember is SOME people (this is why it may have been elsewhere as well) were really p.o.'d and up in arms about this "coddling" of prisoners, like why should they get "pets" as a reward or something? Do you remember that? There was some big controversy.

The way I look at it, in these situations, EVERYONE wins...the prisoners, society, and of course the animals.

What's to bitch about? :girl_haha:

[Roamer]

I think that's silly, don't you? The dogs were all rescues, for goodness sakes, not pedigreed, expensive animals. It was a chance for them to live, and for someone to change their lives for the better.