Pawsitive Change

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Pawsitive Change

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Transforming futures: Death-row dogs meet incarcerated students in CA prisons. Join us in creating hope, one paw and one heart at a time!

Training, trust, & second chances for all! 🐶🩵 Marley's Mutts Pawsitive Change Program is more than a dog training initiative—it's a path to redemption for both dogs & people. Marley's Mutts Pawsitive Change Program is more than a dog training initiative—it's a powerful path to redemption for both dogs and people. We partner with California state prisons (and juvenile facilities) to pair at-risk shelter dogs facing euthanasia with carefully selected incarcerated students. Over an intensive 14-week live-in program, these 'student trainers' use positive reinforcement to teach the dogs obedience, socialization, and life skills—preparing them for loving forever homes. In return, the students gain responsibility, empathy, vocational training, and a renewed sense of purpose, reducing recidivism and building brighter futures. Adopt a Pawsitive Change canine graduate, donate to support the program, or follow for inspiring stories and updates. 🐶🩵

10/19/2026

A man behind a prison wall,
a dog behind a gate.
Each with a story few have heard,
each with a long, hard wait.

They meet and slowly learn to trust,
a hand, a hopeful gaze.
The man gives kindness to the dog,
the dog gives warmth to his days.

And in a place of walls and bars,
two hearts find room to grow—
each giving love the other needs,
each with more to offer than we know.

10/18/2026

One came on a prison bus,
one on a rescue ride.
Both carried years of hurt
they had learned to hide.

The man sat down beside him,
let the frightened dog come near.
No commands, no expectations—
just a quiet, “You’re safe here.”

Days passed in small beginnings:
a touch, a walk, a game.
The dog began to lift his head.
The man began to do the same.

And light came through in moments
no prison wall could hold—
a tail against the concrete,
a hand once more unclenched and whole.

The man thought he was there
to give this mutt a start.
Then felt a head rest on his knee
and found his own lost heart.

10/15/2026

The Other Side of the Fence

Ten years I’ve watched the seasons change, Through concrete walls and windowpanes. Then came a dog the world had feared, With hardened eyes and battle scars.

They said he’d never learn to trust, That something in his soul was lost. But I saw something they couldn’t see, A frightened soul that looked like me.

I never asked him where he’d been, Or judged the trouble he’d been in. I simply sat beside him there, And taught him love through patient care.

And somewhere in those quiet days, We both began to change our ways. His growls grew soft, my anger too, We found a life we never knew.

Now freedom waits beyond these walls, A loving home, a brand-new call. He’ll leave on four legs, I’ll leave on two, With something neither of us knew:

The past can teach, but need not define, A life still worthy of love and time. And sometimes freedom first begins When someone sees the good within.

Pawsitive Change — Healing both ends of the leash.

10/14/2026

The Holiness of a Second Chance

Don’t judge a soul by the face you see, Or the weight of who they used to be. For God sees hearts where others see scars, And finds His light in the darkest of hours.

A hardened man, a gentle pup, Two broken stories, both looking up. One offers trust, the other his hand, And love begins where judgment ends.

For we are more than the worst we’ve done, More than the battles lost or won. And grace reminds us, time and again, That no one’s story must end where it’s been.

To see beyond someone’s past, To offer a love that’s meant to last, To believe in a soul the world has cast away— Is among the holiest things we can do today.

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

📸: David Doobinin

10/14/2026

Search and rescue retraining with Charlie! Stick around for the end!

10/13/2026

When we bring dogs into prison, we bring in something that can otherwise feel impossible to find behind those walls: unconditional love.

In an environment shaped by fear, negativity, and violence, a dog creates an opening. A wagging tail. A head resting in your lap. A living being who seeks your company and feels safe beside you.

And slowly, there is a softening.

Men who have spent years protecting themselves behind emotional armor begin to let their guard down. They speak gently. They offer affection. They comfort a frightened dog and discover that they still have tenderness to give.

Love and light begin to enter places in their hearts that have been closed off for years. Being trusted, being needed, and being loved can help someone believe they have something valuable to offer—and a reason to keep growing.

We see that healing in the everyday moments: a scared dog finally falling asleep beside his handler. A student learning to respond to frustration with patience. Men reaching across racial and gang boundaries to help one another care for an animal they all love.

The violence and hardship of prison are real. So is the compassion growing inside it. Every gentle interaction gives our students a chance to practice a different way of being, and that care can extend to the people around them.

This is the heart of Pawsitive Change. This is reciprocal rescue.

As our students help abandoned dogs feel safe and loved, those dogs help our students reconnect with parts of themselves they may have thought were lost forever.

There are no throwaway dogs. There are no throwaway people. Sometimes, healing begins with a dog who lets you know that your love still matters. 🐾

10/12/2026

We’re still working toward bringing Pawsitive Change back to Wasco State Prison! 🐾

We ran our program there from 2017–2020, and some of the greatest trainers—and people—I’ve ever known came out of those classes. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment to growth are why we’re so excited to return.

We’re still raising the funding needed to reopen. It’s taking time, but we remain committed to making it happen.

Pawsitive Change is built on reciprocal rescue: shelter dogs get a chance to heal, learn to trust, and find homes, while the incarcerated people caring for them practice patience, accountability, communication, and compassion. Both get an opportunity to build a different future.

Dog programs can make prison a more humane and productive place. Our goal reaches beyond graduation: preparing people for employment, strengthening their ability to navigate life after release, and helping break the cycle of recidivism.

When you support Pawsitive Change, you help create those opportunities—for people and dogs who have so much left to give.

There are no throwaway dogs. There are no throwaway people. And we look forward to being back at Wasco. ❤️

Please give through the link in my bio to help us bring Pawsitive Change back to Wasco. Every donation moves us closer!

10/11/2026

Brian James — with the perfect Pawsitive Change sound bite!
He’s a perfect example of who, what, why! We love you, Lonely!

10/09/2026

Los Angeles friends—let’s help Alvin find his next opportunity! 🐾

Alvin is one of our former Pawsitive Change students, a great guy, and a capable employee looking for work with dogs in the Los Angeles area.

Through our program, he dedicated himself to rehabilitating rescue dogs who needed patience, care, and someone willing to believe in them. Now, I’d love to see our community show up for him.

If you own or work at a dog daycare, boarding facility, rescue, grooming business, or training company—or know someone hiring—please reach out directly to Ac 🤦🏾‍♂️.

Meaningful employment is such an important part of building a new chapter. A connection, an introduction, or a shared post could help open that door.

Thank you for supporting our students beyond graduation. ❤️

10/08/2026

Six years of showing up. Six years of patience, dedication, and second chances. ❤️🐾

As we celebrate another Pawsitive Change graduation on Charlie Yard at Tehachapi State Prison, I want to honor the incredible men who have helped sustain this program for the last six years.

These trainers dedicate themselves tirelessly to the dogs who need them. They work through fear, build trust, celebrate small breakthroughs, and give dogs time to become themselves again. That work takes more than training skills. It takes compassion, consistency, and a willingness to keep showing up when progress is slow.

Along the way, they support one another, share what they’ve learned, and help make each new class possible. Their commitment is the heart of this program.

To our Charlie Yard team: thank you for caring so deeply, for carrying this work forward, and for giving so much of yourselves to dogs who needed someone to believe in them. I am proud of you, grateful for you, and honored to be part of this journey with you.

Congratulations to our graduates. Here’s to the lives you’ve changed—and the lives still waiting for you.

No throwaway dogs. No throwaway people. Just the opportunity to grow, heal, and begin again.

PrisonDogProgram

Address

Bakersfield, CA

Telephone

+16615567261

Website

https://linktr.ee/pawsitivechangeprogram

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