Patriot PAWS Service Dogs receives $15,000 grant from Texas Bar Foundation

Rockwall, TX (November 25, 2024) – Patriot PAWS Service Dogs received a $15,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to support the organization’s life-changing partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Founded in 2006, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs trains and provides Service Dogs of the highest quality to disabled American Veterans, and others, living with mobile disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and Post-Traumatic Stress.  Each Patriot PAWS Service Dog takes 18-24 months to train at a cost of $46,000 for the organization to provide.  However, each Service Dog would cost a total of $66,000 without the help of Offender Trainers who volunteer their time to train Patriot PAWS program dogs during their sentences.

16 years ago, in 2008, former Patriot PAWS Executive Director, Lori Stevens, met with the Director of Prisons to discuss a potential partnership where Offender Trainers could volunteer to train a Patriot PAWS Service Dog during their sentence.  Several Service Dog programs were being interviewed as potential candidates for the inspirational partnership, however, that quickly changed after a beautiful black Lab, Beau, emerged from under the table after Patriot PAWS & TDCJ’s two-hour meeting.  The Director of Prisons was speechless upon finding out there had been a Service Dog in the room for the entire duration of the meeting.  It was at that moment that a beautiful partnership began.

Patriot PAWS – TDCJ Partnership expanded from working within 1 unit in Gatesville, TX to now a total of 4 prison units – 3 female units in Gatesville, TX and 1 men’s unit in Fairfield, TX.  While in the program, Offender Trainers learn vital life skills such as responsibility, accountability, teamwork, communication, and, above all, selflessness.

Patriot PAWS hosts 4, 2-week Veteran/Service Dog graduations per year with the first week of each graduation taking place within one of the units the program operates out of.  During this weeklong process, Offender Trainers fill the role of Patriot PAWS staff trainers as they teach each of the graduating Veterans the 65+ cues their Service Dog will perform for them, as well as the importance of proper dog handling techniques.  At the end of this week, the Offender Trainers selflessly hand over the leash of the dogs that have taught them their mistakes do not define them.  As the leashes are placed in the Veteran’s hands, a piece of each Offender Trainer’s heart is, as well.

“It’s a deeply moving experience to witness our Offender Trainers say goodbye to the dogs they’ve worked so hard to train,” says Patriot PAWS Service Dogs’ Executive Director, Rick Stevens. “This program is also profoundly healing for the trainers, providing them an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way and creating a ripple effect of positive change in their lives. We are deeply grateful to the Texas Bar Foundation for their generous support of this transformative program.”

To date, Patriot PAWS – TDCJ Program has impacted the lives of more than 450 Offender Trainers.  Upon parole, approximately 22% pursue an animal related occupation and less than 1% ever reoffend. Many Offender Trainers, and their families, credit the Patriot PAWS Prison Program for permanently bettering their lives.  So much so, that the Patriot PAWS – TDCJ Partnership serves as a model for all future Service Dog Training – Prison Programs.

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

Press release submitted by Lauren Vaughan, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Courtesy photos.

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