DALLAS, N.C. -- Watching them work with dog trainer John Holland, Christopher Dennis and Heath Carroll are just two guys with their dogs, teaching them the basics of doggie obedience.
"Sit, Peyton" Dennis says. "Good girl!"
Until you notice the uniforms -- green pants and white T-shirts. Until you notice the barbed wire. Until you notice the staff.
Dennis and Carroll are inmates at the Dallas Correctional Center in Gaston County, participating in a program called "New Leash on Life."
In cooperation with the Charlotte-based rescue group Rescued Me, they are the dogs' caretakers for eight to 12 weeks. The animals live at the prison, visit in the yard and are trained daily by Carroll and Dennis.
"It's a great program for the dogs and the inmates," said Heather Stickney with Rescued Me.
The goal of the program is twofold. The dogs, Oliver and Peyton, are both recently rescued from shelters that euthanize in the area. Rescued Me aims to make them more adoptable to help them find new homes.
The Department of Corrections aims to offer convicts a sense of responsibility, accountability and the feeling of home.
"They give us the perimeter to walk with him. We bring them on the yard so they can interact with people," Carroll said, who misses his two dogs from home. "It's been a while too, because I've been in a little over four years now."
Once Holland determines that the dogs are trained and can graduate certified as Canine Good Citizens, they will leave the prison and find new homes.
"Somebody that does adopt him is going to love him," Carroll said. "He's going to be in good shape."
If you are interested in adoption through Rescued Me, visit rescuedme.org. You can also make donations to the organization.
