Heaven Can Wait Animal Society’s Pups on Parole (“POP”) program has been rehabilitating dogs – and enriching the lives of incarcerated women – in Southern Nevada since 2007.
Since its inception, hundreds of inmates and thousands of dogs have benefitted from the program’s 6-8 week training and socialization curriculum. Upon dogs’ “graduation” from the program, they are placed for adoption and matched with loving homes.
All of that came to a screeching halt in early 2020, when Covid-19 safety protocols at the program’s prison partner site meant that volunteer programs like POP could no longer operate at the facility.
“We couldn’t bring dogs to the prison for training, but we wanted to keep helping dogs who needed us to prepare for adoption,” says Kiley Esprecion, dog coordinator at Heaven Can Wait Animal Society. “We kept the program running at a temporary site, and with support from fosters, for the last two years.”
With recent updates to Nevada Department of Corrections’ protocols, Heaven Can Wait Animal Society is resuming operations at the prison, bringing incarcerated women and adoptable dogs together on a special unit designated for the program. There, program participants will live, work, and play with these dogs to ensure they’re ready for their forever homes.
“Pups on Parole has a huge impact on quality of life for both program participants and for the dogs,” says Francesca Fulciniti, Executive Director at Heaven Can Wait Animal Society. “We see that the program provides a chance for building trust, companionship, and hope for the future – for all parties involved.”
The first cohort of Pups on Parole dogs has been transferred to the prison site and will be ready for adoption in 6-8 weeks. Adoptable dogs can be viewed on Heaven Can Wait’s website at https://heavencanwaitlv.org/adoptable-dogs/ .
To help support Pups on Parole, individuals can:
- Purchase food, supplies, and other items from our wish list at https://heavencanwaitlv.org/wish-list/
- Make a monetary gift at heavencanwaitlv.org/donate. Pups on Parole is wholly supported by donations from the community.
Leave a Comment