The mission has expanded to be more proactive and innovative with efforts focused on the following programs. Training: The Pit Sisters Mobile Training Program launched in 2015 to provide a way for families to be able to receive professional training for their pets, regardless of breed, where the dog came from or training issue. This program is proven to help keep dogs with their families and out o
f the shelters, which is crucial, as 48% of all shelter dogs come through the system through owner surrenders. Since 2015, over 150 dogs have been trained, free of charge, by certified positive reinforcement trainers. This program is offered as a life saving resource for; Jacksonville Animal Care & Protective Services, Clay County Animal Care and The Jacksonville Humane Society and is also offered in area shelters throughout Northeast FL. This program focuses on potty training and excessive barking, among other issues. A Pit Sisters canine aggression expert gives dogs with more serious issues additional assistance. Training is also about working with pet owners, as often times they cause issues unknowingly. Community Engagement and Involvement: Pit Sisters believes in order to save homeless pets, more involvement and engagement from the entire community is needed. Pit Sisters continually works on collaborative relationships with animal shelters, rescues, businesses, government, etc. to breaks myths and educate entire communities. TAILS: TAILS (Teaching Animals & Inmates Life Skills) is a collaborative effort bringing together prison inmates and hard-to-adopt shelter dogs. This is one of the largest programs of its kind in the country and fully implemented and paid for by Pit Sisters. Through partnerships with city shelters across Northeast FL; the State of Florida Correctional System; and Sheriffs’ offices, shelter dogs are placed in correctional facilities to be trained, socialized and cared for so they have a chance of finding a new forever loving home. Pit Sisters assesses dogs at the city shelters to find those who are in need of training and socialization and at risk of euthanasia. They provide all transport to one of the five facilities in which this program currently resides, which include The Jacksonville Bridges Community Release Center; Raymond James Correctional Institution; Baker Correctional Institute; Lawtey Correctional Institution; and Montgomery Correctional in Jacksonville. Each TAILS dog is assigned to two pre-screened prisoners so they won’t bond to any one person and learn to respond to a variety of voices and personalities. Once matched, inmates are fully responsible for the dog’s care, which include feeding, grooming, housebreaking and obedience training. Pit Sisters provides food and medical care for the dogs and employs a trainer to teach the inmates and correction staff how to handle and train them. Each dog is with at least one inmate 24 hours a day, and a member of the Pit Sisters team will visit each facility frequently to observe interactions and troubleshoot any problems. The dog’s stay at their respective prison for eight weeks and at the end of the program, they are crate-trained, know basic commands such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay,’ walk on a leash, and are generally well-mannered. Upon graduation, all dogs will receive an APDT CLASS Certificate and inmates will be asked to take a written exam based on what they have taught. Immediately upon graduation a new set of dogs arrive to enter the TAILS program. Either the family members of inmates, prison employees and/or local community members have been known to adopt many of the trained TAILS dogs before graduation even takes place. The officers working in the program feel responsible for the dogs and will even post them on Facebook and advertise in the local papers. If a dog does not get adopted prior to graduation, it is not returned to a shelter to risk euthanasia again, rather, the dog will stay in the program until adopted, go to a foster home, or will be brought to an adoption event. This program is so hugely important because it is estimated that 48 percent of all shelter dogs entering come from owner surrenders. More notably, many dogs come in unruly, un-socialized and just don’t have basic training skills. This program helps solve this common, potentially deadly problem. Since 2012, close to 400 dogs have been through the TAILS program. All dogs leave with letters from inmate trainers about their personalities, and also a professional training certificate. There are approximately 2,500,000 inmates in prisons (federal, state, local, juvenile) across the United States, with over 650,000 ex-offenders released every year. Studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release. The high volume of returnees is a reflection on the tremendous growth in prison population during the past 30 years. For the communities to which most former prisoners return, the release of ex-offenders represents a variety of challenges. Programs like TAILS help in so many ways, as it gives inmates skills in cooperation, patience and confidence. “We know from long experience that if they can’t find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to prison…. America is the land of the second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” - President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address
TAILS benefits dogs, trainers, families, prison staff and entire communities. It has beneficially impacted behavior as inmates learn teamwork. The wardens have observed prisoners increasingly deal with problems by talking rather than fighting. Stress has been noticeably reduced. A warden at Baker Correctional has noted inmates who are working with the dogs have more control and discipline because they have a purpose. The inmates are quite open about how the program has helped them. “It is the one thing I have done that I will never regret,” said one. Another inmate, a Vietnam Veteran, described how the dogs “reopened my wounds and let them heal from within.” Another said, “TAILS gave me back my self-esteem, and taught me patience.” Many have said over and over, this life-saving program teaches them to simply trust again. One inmate who spoke at a graduation stated, “For the dogs to listen to us, we have to be stable. This program is bringing stability to unstable people. It’s better to give than receive and we are truly blessed to receive the opportunity. This program gives us all renewed strength to strive to become better people in our everyday lives.”
Inmates who have gone through this program leave with employable skills and life-saving stories to share. TAILS is truly saving lives from the inside. In 2017, with enough support, Pit Sisters plans on sending another 250 shelter dogs through the training program.
