The Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility Best Chance Dog Rescue Program was founded in August 1999. The program is coordinated by Bobbie King current President of the Golden Belt Humane Society. The program has proven to be very successful, with an adoption success rate of 99%. Dogs who have completed the program and adopted out have ended up as far as New York City, Mississippi, New Mexico,
Nevada, as well as in Barton and Pawnee Counties. Dogs are thoroughly vaccinated, are surgically sterilized, checked for internal parasites and heart-worm disease. They are on prevention medications. The graduates of this program will have completed a course in basic obedience. Upon completion of the program the dogs are available for adoption. A fee of $200.00 helps defray some of the expense of food, medications, and equipment. Dogs in the prison program may be viewed by appointment through Bobbie King. Anyone interested in adopting from the Best Chance Dog Rescue Program may contact Bobbi King at 620-792-2715, or her cell phone 620-786-5303 (DOES NOT RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES, PLEASE CALL ONLY). The handlers and the dogs are worked with on a weekly basis by the obedience instructor. Dogs do not graduate until they are tested by program coordinator, director, and or inmate handler. The LCMHF Best Chance Dog Program is designed to utilize inmate dog handlers to provide socialization and obedience training to dogs that have been surrendered to the Golden Belt Humane Society. In cooperation with facility staff, the Golden Belt Humane Society will select dogs from their kennel that need additional socialization and obedience training prior to adoption. These dogs will be matched with inmate handlers selected by facility staff. The handlers will then be responsible for dog's care, handling, education, grooming, ect. Each inmate handler will keep "his" dog in the program until staff and the inmate believe he has successfully completed the program. The dogs will reside in pet taxis in the assigned handlers room within the minimum-housing unit. At the end of the training period, the dogs will be adopted out to their forever homes. GOAL
The goal of this program is to reduce the number of un-adoptable dogs, while offering LCMHF inmate population a positive, valuable means by which they can contribute to society. By establishing a criteria for selection as a dog-handler, LCMHF hopes to provide the inmate population with an incentive to abide by established rules and regulations demonstrate a greater degree and accountability, as well. Each inmate will keep a handler's record of the dogs progress through the program, and upon completion and graduation the new owners will receive the Handler's Record. The dogs are crate trained, also including manners inside and outside of the home along with basic obedience. Few tricks are taught by the handlers, which is fun for the dogs as well as the handlers. COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS
Community Volunteers are encouraged to participate in this program by donating items used by the handlers/dogs in the program. Donations for the program will be accepted through the Great Bend Humane Society. Any supplies and equipment, which are donated for this program, shall be returned to the Great Bend Humane Society when no longer needed. Any donations received for the dog program shall be accepted for the good of all dogs in the program and shall not be accepted for a specific dog. Only dry dog food the program accepts is Science Diet. Items need for the Best Chance Dog Program:
-Wire Pet Kennels ( Large and Medium)
- stainless steal dog dishes ( 1 for food, 1 for water)
- chew toy
- metal prong "training collar"
- nylon or leather collar
- nylon or leather leash ( maximum of 6 foot in length)
- dog brush
-Toys: balls, nyla bones, squeaky toys, stuff animals
- covered clear plastic container for dog food
- soft training treats
-hard training treats
-Science Diet Dog Food
