Patriot Paws Service Dogs & Texas Department of Criminal Justice: A partnership that is changing lives together

Gatesville, TX (October 19, 2023) – On Monday, October 9^th, 5 deserving United States Veterans began their two-week process of receiving a Patriot PAWS Service Dog.  The first week was conducted at the Lane Murray Unit of Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), where Female Offender Trainers worked with each Veteran attending Graduation.  At the end of the first week, the Offenders selflessly gave a piece of their heart to each Veteran as they handed over the leash of the Patriot PAWS Service Dog who taught them that their mistakes do not define their character.

Established in 2006, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs is a National 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization that trains and provides Service Dogs of the highest quality at no cost to disabled American Veterans, and others, who may suffer from mobile disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and/or Post-Traumatic Stress.  Each Patriot PAWS Service Dog takes 18-24 months to fully train at a cost of more than $35,000 for the organization.  However, the cost would increase by $20,000 without the help of Texas Department Criminal Justice Offender Trainers.

TDCJ & Patriot PAWS Service Dogs began their partnership in 2008 when Patriot PAWS’ Founder & Executive Director, Lori Stevens, met with TDCJ’s Director of Prisons to discuss the possibility of working together; a win-win partnership of changing lives of two different demographics – Veterans & Offenders.  When their meeting concluded and Stevens began exiting the room, TDCJ’s Team was speechless when a beautiful Black Lab named Beau emerged from under the table.  Due to Beau’s Service Dog Training, which was of the highest standard, not a single TDCJ Staff Member was aware that a four-legged friend had also sat in on their lengthy meeting.  It was at that moment that a beautiful partnership began.

Patriot PAWS’ Prison Training Program operates out of three prison units – 2 Female Units in Gatesville, TX and 1 Men’s unit in Fairfield, TX.  While serving their sentence, offenders volunteer their time to train Patriot PAWS pups that rotate throughout the program.  Offender Trainers are capable of training pups a variety of cues ranging from basic potty-training skills to foundational cues, all the way to more advanced cues such as retrieving a bottle of water from the fridge or even getting help in an emergency.

To date, Patriot PAWS Prison Program has impacted the lives of more than 150 Offender Trainers.  Upon parole, the offenders are able to utilize their knowledge from the program to secure an occupation in the free world.  Approximately 23% of paroled trainers go on to work in an animal-related field and become productive members of their community.  In addition to teaching the offenders a vocational skill, the program also teaches important traits such as: responsibility, compassion, trust, and teamwork.  As a result, fewer than 1% of the paroled trainers re-offend; which is significantly lower compared to the state average of 21%. The program has exceeded all expectations and now serves as a model for future Prison Training Programs.

On Friday, October 13, Patriot PAWS Staff Members, Prison Guards & the Prison Warden all entered into the Lane Murray Unit with smiles on their faces to celebrate the time, dedication and passion that each Offender Trainer put into the program, making 5 new Service Dog Placements possible. 4 United States Army Veterans and 1 United States Marine Corps Veteran were matched with their very own Patriot PAWS Service Dog, each presented to the Veteran personally by a TDCJ Offender Trainer, with tears on their cheeks as they watched their dear furry friend fulfill their calling.  A bittersweet moment witnessed by all in attendance.

“I don’t quite know if I have the words to express how proud I am of the Offender Trainers,” states Patriot PAWS Founder & Executive Director, Lori Stevens. “Not only have they chosen to do something productive with their sentenced time, but they also helped to save a Veteran’s life.  I am so glad they were able to see their hard work come to fruition.”

The official Fall 2023 Graduation Ceremony of the 5 new Veteran/Service Dog Teams will be held on Friday, October 20^th at 1pm at Patriot PAWS’ Rockwall Campus.  The event is open to the public to attend however, attendees must RSVP at office@patriotpaws.org.

To date, Patriot PAWS has placed more than 400 dogs from their program with Veteran/Service Dog Teams located in 40 states across the nation.  However, there are still many Veterans in need – including the 70+ waiting to receive their very own Patriot PAWS Service Dog.

For more information, or to donate to the mission of Patriot PAWS, please visit their website at www.patriotpaws.org.

Submitted press release. Photos courtesy of Patriot PAWS Service Dogs.

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