LABELLE, Fla — At the Caloosa Humane Society in LaBelle, there's a new program to give both prison inmates and rescue dogs a fresh start.
It's called “Second Leash on Life.” The shelter says it pairs inmates with shelter dogs to learn, train, and grow together.
Watch to hear how the shelter hopes the program impacts rescue dogs and inmates:
For dogs at the shelter, every bark tells a story of second chances, and that’s exactly what the shelter says this program is about.
Caloosa Humane Society Executive Director Erin Hitsman says inmates at the GEO prison in Moore Haven learn how to train and care for rescue dogs. She says each inmate spends hundreds of hours working with their dogs to help them learn manners and commands that make them more adoptable.
“The residents get nine hundred and twenty hours of training before they get their master training certification. And then the dogs earn their good canine citizen certification,” said Hitsman.
Trainer Toddy Kean says it makes a big difference. Like for Jake, a Belgian Malinois, who she says used to be restless. “All of the staff, when he came in this morning, were commenting on what a different animal he is,” said Kean.
Kean says the inmates also talk about how much these dogs have impacted their lives.
“They all were commenting on how wonderful it was to have these dogs as a part of their lives for some months, and the kindness and compassion that they taught them,” said Kean.
Shelter Board President Steve Kaufman says the program also frees up space in the shelter so they can rescue more animals.
“We just keep plugging away and trying to do what we can do to help the animals in our community,” said Kaufman.
Right now, the program runs on an eight-dog rotation. These are the 2025 graduates, and two have already found forever homes.
“It’s people helping dogs helping people. What can be better than that,” said Kean.
