TiggerTown is very excited to announce that we have partnered with Walker State Prison and Obedience Club of Chattanooga for our FAITH HEELS Training Program!
Walker State Prison is a medium security prison that was constructed in 1972 and can house up to 444 inmates. Their mission statement from their website says they are a “Specially designated Faith & Character Based prison that provides a pro-social, programmatic environment for change to those offenders who voluntarily request to participate in the program. Fosters moral character development and cultivates pluralistic spiritual enrichment.” The inmates must apply and be accepted into their facility. This facility offers the inmates programs that motivate change, such as faith based worship services, bible studies, substance abuse treatment, counseling, and on the job training to prepare them to get jobs when they are released.
Obedience Club of Chattanooga is a non-profit AKC club that donates her time every Monday and Thursday to go to the prison and train the trainers/inmates in an effort to take the unwanted, unadoptable pups and train and socialize them using positive reinforcement so that they can be adopted and find their furever homes!
About the FAITH HEELS Training Program:
- This program rescues and rehabilitates dogs that may otherwise be euthanized while positively impacting the offenders within the facility. Saving offenders and dogs, one life at a time.
- This program provides housing, basic training and socialization to prepare the dogs for adoptions.
- Offenders can earn on-the-job training certificates in animal caretaker, dog training and dog groomer.
- Four of our pups reside at the prison for 10 weeks at a time.
- The pups stay in the dorm with nine (9) men. There are eight (8) trainers/inmates and one (1) inmate that is overseeing the program at all times.
- Each of our pups have two (2) handlers so someone is always with each pup.
- The trainers/inmates groom, train, and provide structured playtime with the dogs on a daily basis.
- Obedience Club of Chattanooga comes in every Thursday for a training class and the trainers/inmates then spend the next week working with the pups with the information they learn in each class.
- Trainers/inmates are offered the opportunity to adopt the pup they have trained if they are close to their expected date of release and complete and pass all the required applications and interviews…just like any other adopter wishing to adopt from TiggerTown.
To participate in the FAITH HEELS Training Program, inmates must:
- Be a high school graduate or hold a GED, read at the 12th grade level, complete assessments and match skill sets.
- Offenders must be within 18-36 months of their tentative parole month or max out date.
- Crime type also determines eligibility into this program
- No assaultive disciplinary reports or participation in major institutional disruption within the last 12 months.
- Complete and pass an interview with the instructor.
How to help:
TiggerTown provides the pups to the prison…but we are also required to provide all vetting (i.e. vaccinations, spay/neuter, medications needed, etc.), food, bowls, leashes, collars, bedding, crates/kennels, and any other needs the pups may have. Please consider making a donation today to help offset these expenses so that we can keep this program running!
