History

The Prison Pet Partnership Program, operating within Washington State criminal justice system, has been a model for the nation in the rehabilitation of female offenders. It began in 1981 as the result of a collaborative effort between Sister Pauline, a Dominican nun, and' the late Dr. Leo Bustad, former chair of Washington State University's veterinary program, who believed that inmate rehabilitation could be facilitated by the human-animal bond. Sister Pauline and Bustad worked cooperatively with Washington State University, Tacoma Community College, and the Washington State Department of Corrections to create this innovative program within the Washington State Corrections Center for Women (WCCW).

The Prison Pet Partnership Program now helps inmates at the WCCW learn how to train, groom and board dogs from within the prison walls. In 1991 the program was incorporated as a separate 501 ( c) (3) agency. Program animals are placed regionally in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Since its inception, the program has placed over 700 dogs as Service, Seizure, or Therapy Dogs for children and adults with disabilities, and in families as pets.

In 1986, the Prison Pet Partnership Program was one of the top ten finalists for Innovations in State and Local Government recognized by the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Business at Harvard University.

In 1997, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf came to WCCW to host "What's Right in America" for NBC. He felt that the Prison Pet Partnership Program exemplified how the prison system can aid in the rehabilitation of inmates while serving the community at large.

For more information, view our About and Mission pages.