Pawsitive Dog prison training program

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Pawsitive Dog prison training program

Working together to help handlers and dogs find better futures. DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED! No taxpayer funds provide supplies or support for this program.

The Pawsitive Dog Prison Training Program is a cooperative effort between the Airway Heights Corrections Center, SpokAnimal CARE, and Diamonds in the Ruff - Training for Dogs & Their People. This incredibly powerful program is a cooperative effort between the Airway Heights Corrections Center, adoptable dogs provided by SpokAnimal CARE's Pups Unlocking Potential program [https://www.facebook.com/p

rofile.php?id=61560250493254], and a dedicated team of instructors from Diamonds in the Ruff [www.diamondsintheruff.com]

Located in Spokane, Washington. Incarcerated individuals at Airway Heights Corrections Center train shelter dogs to make them more adoptable under the guidance of a great team of professional dog trainers from Diamonds in the Ruff - Training for Dogs & Their People, led by Carol Byrnes, CPDT-KA using force free positive training methods. Donate treats and supplies through the Pups Unlocking Potential's AMAZON WISHLIST: https://a.co/0bMS541

Monetary Donations to the P.U.P. (Pups Unlocking Potential) FUND can be made to SpokAnimal, 710 N. Napa, Spokane, WA 99202, or through PayPal. Be sure to note *P.U.P FUND* in the note section of your donation! https://checkout.shelterluv.com/donate/spwa

For information on how you can support the program, adopt a prison pup, or to become a prison dog foster home, contact Maranda at [email protected] or DM her through the Unlocking Potential page. Thank you for your support!

22/04/2026

While our program is still on hiatus, it doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of work still going on behind the scenes. Yesterday, we were treated by a special visitor! Kathrin Ederer is in the U.S. visiting from Austria. She dreams of combining her skills as a dog trainer with her social work studies. She contacted us for information on our prison training program, as she is putting together a proposal for a similar training program for incarcerated individuals - the first of its kind in all of Austria! Airway Heights graciously welcomed her to tour the prison and talk to the staff, trainers, and our program handlers. Kathrin had many questions about the program and what it means to the men in the facility and the impact on their futures beyond the program. She left more inspired than she imagined.

We thank Airway Heights every day for the opportunity to do this important work and we can't wait to get back in the classroom once a new shelter contract is finalized. Thank you for your patience and support. Fingers crossed, it will be very soon!

15/02/2026

Happy Pupentine’s Day from Zoey and Miya!
Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. Pups Unlocking Potential

29/01/2026

❤️ Jango!! ❤️
Finally, all the Session 31 pups are home! We are so happy for them and look forward to getting updates as their new journeys unfold. 🎉

23/01/2026

DO YOU HAVE A PRISON GRADUATE? POST AN UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
When the adoption committee is faced with selecting which of the many applicants will be chosen, it's not a task they take lightly. Especially knowing that the short-term task to find someone who can meet each dog's individual needs on adoption day, it also means finding that dog a home they will grow old in.

In the comments below, we are thrilled to celebrate the sugar-faced prison pups who are still thriving, happy and safe, many years later! If you adopted a prison pup, please join us in celebrating them! Post in the comments below, or DM a 'then and now' photo to us and we will post for you - tell us their name, when they were in prison, and what year they graduated!

Meet Ellie, the then 2-year-old Jack Russell Terrier who climbed trees and 7-foot fences after squirrels in the early days of her adoption from the Session 3, Fall-Winter, November 2012-January of 2013. ❤️ She doesn't hear very well anymore, but she still remembers the tricks she learned in prison!

17/01/2026

Session 32 start date has been briefly delayed to ensure everyone is healthy. ❤️🐶

SpokAnimal could use our help! Please join Jerry and Miya in their generosity to help SpokAnimal recover and prepare for our Prison Pup Session 32.

Training and medical supply donations can be made through the Amazon link a.co/0bMS541 and monetary donations can be made via the 'donate' button at SpokAnimal.org.

We are so grateful for all of the ongoing, amazing support! It's your support that keeps our program going strong! We are so excited to meet the Session 32 pups when it is safe to do so. Stay tuned for more updates on when the lucky pups will be joining us!

14/01/2026

Loki update!!! 🎉 The note and pictures below are from Loki's new family (there's a video in the comments too). They adore him! We love getting Prison Pup updates, thank you!!!!

Loki is hysterical. He fits in so well to our family and is doing great. His personality has really started to come out more in the past few days and he is spunky.
We just adore him.
Tell everyone in the program he says hello!

09/01/2026

Look at all those goodies!! Our supporters who shop at Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile donated loads of training treats for our Session 32 pups!!! On top of that Prairie Dog also ran a fundraiser in theirs stores and customers donated $563.01 to our program!! We cannot thank our friends at Pdog and our loyal supporters enough for such amazing donations! We appreciate you! ♥️

08/01/2026

Huge thanks and appreciation to Past Prison Dog Graduate Jerry and his family! They recently stopped by Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile and left us this fabulous box of training treats, toys, treat totes and a Jerry update!!! Thank you for such a generous donation, the Session 32 pups are going to love it!

We are very happy to see Jerry! It is so fun to get updates from past pups and their families. By the sounds of his update, he is doing great! ♥️

27/12/2025

The talented and beautiful Miss Miya, Session 29 graduate, stopped by Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile and left loads of treats for the new Session 32 pups!!! Thank you to Miya and her mom!!! We appreciate every ounce of support we get from all of you. We could not keep this up without your constant love and support, THANK YOU!

24/12/2025

HELLO! We need your help to keep this program rockin' and rollin'!
Our pups go through a lot of rewards on their way to becoming great doggie citizens! Small, dry, crunchy, or semi moist treats are always needed! We use a lot of Happy Howie dog food rolls as high value rewards!

HELP US GET READY FOR SESSION 32!
On January 20th, the SpokAnimal van will pull up in front of the Airway Heights Corrections Center and 4 excited dogs will meet their new handlers for the first time. We hope we can count on our amazing donors to help us fill the supply cupboards for this coming session!

NEEDED! We need to replenish our supply of a variety of tiny, tasty, dry, freeze dried, or semi moist treats for our treat mix, Happy Howie rolls, and various other supplies listed on our Amazon wish list here:
a.co/0bMS541

Purchase from the wish list and your donations will be delivered directly to SpokAnimal, or shop local at Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile (1128 W Summit Pkwy - OR - 5608 S Regal, ste 100), leave your purchases with the fine folks at Pdog, and our Diamonds in the Ruff trainers will pick them up and deliver them to the prison on class day each week. You may also mark your donations "PRISON PROGRAM" and drop them off at SpokAnimal.

For more information on what other supplies are needed as the session goes on, check this page or visit the Pups Unlocking Potential page.

For more information, contact [email protected]

Thank you for all your help in making this program possible!

10/12/2025

Yesterday morning was Session 31 graduation day, so much to celebrate! It's always an emotional day....... lots of smiles and laughter, kudos for so many good things these handlers have accomplished, many tearful goodbyes, showing off of tricks performed for the audience and warm welcomes from new families. We wish these amazing pups the best on their new journeys and would love to see some photos from new families to share soon!!

Our next group, Session 32 pups, will be arriving on January 20th. Stay tuned and enjoy the photos and videos below of our celebration!!

27/11/2025

That's a wrap! Applications for Big E are now closed. Thank you all for your support, and for sharing our posts to get the word out. We appreciate ALL of your efforts, thank you! 🎉

SESSION 31 ADOPTION APPLICATIONS FOR BIG E ONLY HAVE RE-OPENED FOR ONE WEEK. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE APPLYING.

Adoption applications for Big E ONLY are now being accepted!

SpokAnimal's Adoption Fees for the prison pups are as follows:
8 weeks - 6 months: $610
7 months - 1 year: $550
1 year- 7 years: $450
7 years + : $170
Applications will be taken this week, Thur 11/27 - Wed 12/3.
Final selection will be made after applications have all been reviewed by a committee and meet and greets have been had.
Selections will be made solely by matching Big E with the best home, not on a first come - first served basis.
There is a $50 non-refundable deposit that will be applied to the adoption fee, if you are selected.

Big E is a super sweet Heeler mix. He is approximately 1 year old. Goldilocks would love him! He is not too big, not too small, he is just the right size and weighs about 33 pounds. Big E is such a quick learner, has a great off switch, and he walks nicely on a leash! He will certainly make someone a wonderful hiking buddy, a playful companion and he would be good at dog sports.

Don't miss your chance to make this amazing boy part of your family! The hard work, dedication, and love the handlers have put in to preparing him for his new home is amazing. Check out his pictures!

Thank you

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