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DRAWING ATTENTION PAGE 14
APRIL 27 2012 ISSUE 1050
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT CIRCULATION: 59,400
THE HEARTBEAT OF PENRITH
Puppies in prison Inmates play crucial role in world-leading program KATHERINE TWEED
T
hey may just be cute and fluffy now, but when these puppies grow up they will mean so much more to people with physical disabilities. But they might not have even entered the world if it wasn’t for the staff and inmates at Emu Plains Correctional Centre. Corrective Services NSW and Assistance Dogs Australia – a charity that trains dogs to give independence to people with physical disabilities – have joined forces to launch a new dog birthing facility at Emu Plains. Four-year-old Golden Retriever, Brielle, made history when she delivered 10 pups at the facility in February as part of the Pups in Prison program. Commissioner, Ron Woodham, said Corrective Services NSW was leading the world by running the fi rst dog breeding program behind bars. “Correctional staff built the facility, which provides a safe space for Assistance Dogs Australia to deliver its elite dogs to assist people with physical disabilities,” he said. “Inmates are trained to assist with the delivery and then spend eight weeks looking after the pups.” After nurturing the pups from birth, Jodi, an inmate at Emu Plains, said she was sad to see them go, but was pleased to have been part of the program. “Knowing where these dogs are going and the people that they are going to help, this is a big sense of achievement for me,” Jodi said. “We feel as though this has been a life changing experience and we have learnt so much. We are extremely proud of what we have done.” The new dog birthing facility, officially opened on Monday, includes two birthing suites, dog runs and living quarters for minimum security inmates, who are on standby for the puppies’ safe arrival. A selection of the puppies have already passed the fi rst stage of the program and are being trained by Assistance Dogs Australia.
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