Friends Of Paws In Prison Inc

We are a very small group making a BIG impact. This organization truly makes a difference - Saving more than dogs. Over 600 dogs have been placed in furever homes. Over 1,000 women inmates impacted. These women learn valuable life skills such as patience, teamwork, responsibility, communication skills, self-confidence, accountability, and empathy. Some have gone on to become vet assistants, groomers, dog trainers, owners and managers of boarding facilities. Their transformation has a ripple effect for future generations when they return back into society as better mothers, productive employees, and strong women who give back to their communities. Therefore, the success of this unique program affects us all! I am honored to be a board member.

I have adopted 2 dogs from Paws in Prison, volunteered for Friends of Paws in Prison and currently sit on the board of directors of Friends of Paws in Prison. The work this organization does to rehab both dogs and the ladies who train them is on a higher level than you can imagine. My dogs have brought us so much joy and the care this program brings to the dogs is exemplary. Additionally, the inmates who participate in this program are provided with skills that will serve them in all aspects of their lives when they are released.

This is a a wonderful nonprofit which is one of my favorites, in part, because it does double duty helping both people and animals! The board is a dedicated group who work with a shoestring budget to carry out their mission, trying different methods of fundraising to support this worthwhile cause - participating in events in the surrounding areas like PetFest, & hosting silent auctions. It is a challenging cause because, as one board member remarked, people/corporations don’t want to donate to prisons. They valiantly fight an uphill battle and never give up! I love supporting this worthy endeavor to help women inmates find hope for their future in the helping hands of Paws In Prison, and saving a loving canine destined for euthanasia. They really need and deserve every dime they can get! Please choose them!

I have adopted 2 amazing pups from Paws in Prison. This program does amazing things for the dogs and the lady inmates.

My dog, I adopted from pawsinprison, is the best dog I ever had. The program is wonderful and so is my dog. Lucky are the dogs that are in the pawsinprison program.

Absolutely the best nonprofit around! Training women to train dogs using only positive reinforcement techniques. Then adopting these fabulous dogs into carefully vetted homes. Helps the women; helps the dogs.

More women, more dogs, more happy families; such a happy circle!

We adopted our first dog from here in 2017; our next dog will come from this program!

I saw a dog on Petfinders that looked exactly like my Australian Shepherd who had passed away a couple of years before. I immediately called about the dog and the Paws director asked me to come to the prison where the dog was being trained. She later invited my husband and our dog Niya, to make sure the new dog fit into the family. Happily, he did and is a joy. I appreciated so much how she took such care to make sure that the adoption was a win for all of us.

We have two precious dogs from this program and I am a volunteer on the Board. Our two dogs fill our lives with love, laughter and so much joy. I have had the privilege of getting to know several of the Lockhart Ladies and have heard many of their stories. I have also had the honor of helping facilitate adoptions. Because of my experience with this program, I have become a better person myself, learning so much about the miracle of what unconditional love and caring can accomplish in the lives of others, in both humans and dogs!

Today I went to the Coleman Unit for prison ministry through my church. When pulling into the parking lot the 'paws' yard was full of pups and their handlers! I am a dog person and this brought such joy to my heart. Additionally, I give a financial class at Coleman and had the honor to have some handlers in my class and have had the chance to talk to them about their pups. These women give their 'all' to these pups in training and getting them ready for their forever homes.

I have a friend who works with the dogs and she loves it tremendously and also I feel it’s good for the matter and the dogs I will be adopting soon to get a friend for my 2 doggies I have it’s a great program wish had more prisons offering it

What a wonderful program for humans and dogs alike…. Our friends adopted from here and she is the most wonderful companion…. You literally cannot find a better place to meet your new best friend ❤️.

I adopted two dogs from Paws in Prison and have been a supporter of them for over a decade. Not only are my dogs amazing but the program is the epitome of second chances. They inmates are given a second chance to rehabilitate through the program and through the love of the dogs. Any dog I get in the future will be from Paws in Prison!!!!!

A wonderful program which my daughter Lexie participated in. Taught her so much and such a positive learning experience. Great gear work!

I admire your program mission and am very familiar with an ex-inmate that has recently gone on to make a difference in a lot more lives, as a direct result of this specific program. Keep up the good work!

We adopted our sweet girl Piper from Paws in Prison because we strongly believe in their mission to help not only dogs, but the women who train them. As a criminologist and criminal justice professor, I love the rehabilitative focus of this program for the incarcerated women. Piper is an absolute JOY to have in our family. She loves our kids so much and follows them around everywhere, especially the baby. She and the other family dogs are the most adorable pack. They romp, play, and all sleep cuddled on our bed together at night. Piper thinks beds and couches are the best invention ever! She loves to run in our big backyard and climb up into the treehouse with our kids. She loves camping and has a blast taking hikes and looking for deer from the campsite. She also loves to chase grasshoppers. She hops after them!
She is fully potty trained, and thinks the doggy door is a blast to use for full speed zoomies into the backyard chasing her new best friend Gio (another Lockhart shelter dog we adopted from Atticus Rescue two years ago). She also walks on her leash beautifully and remembers all the tricks the Lockhart women taught her (sit, down, wait, shake, with me, sit pretty, raise the roof, who’s the best). She loves to show off her tricks! Thank you so much for allowing us to give Piper a forever home. We just love her so much!

This non-profit offers a win-win-win for dogs who need rescue, inmates who gain skills that can lead to employment, and loving families/individuals who get a trained dog.

I work with the girls who train the dogs. Love to watch them show off what the dogs have learned!!

We adopted Jackson through PIP 13 years ago and I've been singing the praises of this program ever since. They did an amazing job training him and he's been the very best dog for our family. When we are ready to adopt again, we will definitely be looking at Paws in Prison.

I'm honored to be a small part of this organization. I am the Treasurer of Friends of Paws in Prison and I'm passionate about our mission. It's gratifying to see the results of the program with dogs finding furrever homes and the women gaining life skills.

A brilliant and compassionate charity, bringing love and connection to the most vulnerable and scared: women in prisons and abandoned dogs. This is one of my favorite all time charities for sure!

I volunteered with Kairos Prison Ministry in Lockhart. The ladies in the Paws in Prison program were so thankful to be involved. Some of them were helping others for the first time in their lives. They were full of love and peace. One told me that she had lost thirty pounds. She had been plagued with depression her entire life, but it was now gone, due to Paws in Prison. The ladies in the program had a special joy and kindness about them. Paws in Prison is a wonderful program!

About ten years ago some dear fiends of ours adopted their sweet dog, Muffin, from Paws in Prison. They told us all about how the program worked and what a wonderful experience it was for them all. They not only adopted one of the PIP dogs but also became big supporters of the program and in turn turned us and many others into supporters of the PIP program. The women in the PIP program not only transform these dogs, into loving trusting dogs, but also into good companions, for those lucky enough to adopt one of them. And in turn the women who train them are transformed as well. The more we've learned about the Paws in Prison program the more we love it. Flash forward about ten years and our friends adopted another dog from Paws in Prison. Another special pet named Tater. Muffin and Tater have found a wonderful loving and caring home.

We first became aware of Paws in Prison a few years ago when looking for a rescue dog. From our first encounter, my wife and I have been impressed beyond words with the program and what it accomplishes on a daily basis. The motto "saving more than dogs" is routinely manifest in the abundant success stories that permeate our society. The inmates, many of which found themselves in a pattern of behavior that led to their incarceration, find the means to break the pattern and change their lives. In the eyes of these dogs they see hope and love, returning these to all of us in society. Certainly the dogs are a beneficiary but the women are being saved as well. Roughly quoting an inmate from the documentary about Paws filmed at a graduation ceremony - "I figured if this dog was worth saving, maybe I was too." No stronger testimony about the program can be offered - amazing program.

What great experience! We adopted Serin in 2009 from Paws in Prison. Machelle let us take him home to make sure it was a good fit for both of us. Serin never went back. Machelle helped make the transition seemless. Serin was crate trained and house trained. He also knew a few tricks. Serin is around 13 years old now and still going strong. We LOVE our wonderful pet trained behind bars!

We adopted our dog Sammy from Paws In Prison 4 years ago and support this program however we can because of what they do. They are helping both inmates and dogs get a second chance all in their free time and deserve all the support they can get.

We have 2 dogs from Paws in Prison. Our first dog was adopted 10 years ago when she was 3. Our second dog is now 3 and we've had him about 8 months. So the two dogs are 10 years apart in age. Our 13 year old female dog has never had an accident in our home! Our younger pup is adorable and entertains us with all his funny tricks -he's loaded with personality. Honestly, these two dogs are such a joy. What a great feeling it is to know they were saved from potential euthanasia since they came from kill shelters. I wish I could personally thank the inmates who gave them such wonderful training. This organization is doing wonderful things - saving dogs and giving the women inmates the opportunity to become better human beings.

We adopted Pippa from Paws in Prison. Pippa is the most well behaved dog we have ever met. She is obedient and a total people pleaser. Paws in Prison did a fantastic job with her training. Sit, Lay down, Stay, correctly walking with a leash, crate trained, high fives and house broken. Complete angel of a dog. If you watch the dogs at Paws in Prison they are very well behaved and when we came home all our neighbors commented how our dog almost never barks. I'm not sure all the other dogs are like that so you might want to ask but if you do ask you are going to get very detailed answers and the people at paws in prison are very nice and friendly. For first time dog owners who do not know how to train a dog to do the basics their adoption fee would be a good deal at twice the price!!!

We knew we wanted to adopt a dog, but when we heard about PIP it was exactly the place where we wanted to adopt from. We were lucky to visit the facility and do a meet and greet with several dogs to find one that worked with our female, dominate dog. The director at the time, Machelle, interviewed us to get an idea of what type of dog was a fit. We have had Ruby since January 2009. She came well trained, not just house trained but she knew fun tricks and manners. It helped that her trainers wrote letters about her personality, we felt so comfortable taking her home. We support PIP because it saves the dogs and the ladies in the prison. What a fantastic group! When we adopt again, we will do it with PIP again.

I’ve been watching the program for a year and am very impressed. I will soon be calling for a home visit to move the adoption along. They have been so willing to answer any question and provide feedback. I am looking forward to working closely with you for the perfect dog.

Paws in Prison is truly a family. The work they do is all genuine and whether you’re a volunteer, a trainer, or an adopter, you can feel it. PIP has the most heart I’ve ever seen in a non-profit. And even though they’re small, their amazing work affects so many lives in the process- human and K9. I’ll continue to help PIP in any way I can because I know how much of an impact they have on their community!

This program rescues dogs and women! Female inmates train dogs rescued from kill shelters. The dogs teach the women life skills of empathy, patience, responsibility and accountability and the inmates teach the dogs basic obedience training. Both heal each other. Communities received loving family pets and societies receive rehabilitated members.