Mans best friend: Shelby County inmates care for pets at Shelby Humane Society
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Forget the familiar dog adage, &8220;Who&8217;s walking who?&8221;
The right question for the Shelby Humane Society and Shelby County Sheriff&8217;s Office is &8220;Who&8217;s helping who?&8221;
Several months ago, the two organizations began a program that rewards inmates with good behavior the opportunity to help care for dogs at the shelter. Soon after, the all-around benefits of the program reared their furry heads.
Ronda Steciuk, the executive director at Shelby Humane, said the program isn&8217;t super-structured, but focuses on giving dogs the one on one time they need to become well socialized, desirable pets.
She said, &8220;[The inmates] take them for decent walks, and we&8217;re not just talking about around the building. They&8217;ll take them way up to the end of the road and back down and they will walk them fast so they&8217;re actually getting exercised.&8221;
The inmates&8217; efforts assist the shelter in an unrivaled way. Though many volunteers visit Shelby Humane on Saturdays, the inmates offer the animals individual attention throughout the week. They help the often under-staffed shelter by preparing the animals for special events and taking care of things employees at the shelter often can&8217;t get to, like washing, playing and walking the dogs.
&8220;Working with them daily, it&8217;s amazing the difference,&8221; said kennel manager Sara Shirley. &8220;It would have been nice to video the first three days they came over and how the dog was dragging them across the parking lot, and now the dog is walking beside them.&8221;
The sheriff&8217;s office and the county jail said participants in the program seem to really enjoy the volunteer work. Steciuk explained, &8220;They get to be out and about for a bit and they get to interact with the animals. It&8217;s very much a reward for them and encouragement for them to do what they need.&8221;
So far, Steciuk said the same individuals have been coming back regularly. &8220;We like that,&8221; she said. &8220;We know that there is a core group who are reliable and know how to handle the dogs.&8221;
&8220;I think it&8217;s a plus, plus relationship. The trustees are the most respectful people … the dogs absolutely love it. It&8217;s a winning relationship for both,&8221; Shirley said