Change the Lives of Troubled Youth & Shelter Dogs

PUPDATE: AVRIL

It's an age-old question, do we rescue dogs, or do they rescue us? Today, we would like to share a pupdate on Avril, an appx. 1-year-old pup who was at Project POOCH early this year. She came to us from Marion County Dog Services and, through her time at Project POOCH, had the time and space to build trust with humans, work on her anxiety, and learn some basic cues.

“Avril has changed my life so much. Some days I don’t know that I would leave the house if it weren’t for her. Everyone responds to her sweetness and beauty; thirteen year old boys on skateboards shout, “I love your dog!” as they roll by. Grocery store checkers, security guards, and bridge toll workers love to give her treats. Drivers back up to let us cross the street and I have conversations with people about their own dogs a lot now.

When I got her, I was thinking she would cheer me up but it doesn’t quite work that way. She’s extremely sensitive to my moods—if I’m particularly upset, I notice she’s sometimes sick to her stomach the next morning so I’ve learned to better regulate my moods. This has actually helped me temper my emotions. We have a regular round trip we take to the beach; it’s a five mile walk and I’m sure I wouldn’t do it so often but for Avril. She’s been crucial to my mental and physical health throughout an incredibly difficult time in my life. She brings me joy and hope and I want to thank you all, but especially the young man who did such an exceptional job of caring for her and training her.”

Project POOCH: Win-Win-Win

• Youth participants develop confidence and skills that will benefit them at MacLaren and upon release.
• POOCH pups learn to trust people, learn basic cues, and become ready to be good companions.
• Adopters gain a new, loving family member and know that in adopting from POOCH, they support a program that gives back to their community.

2022 Highlights

• Served 14 youth
• Youth dedicated 4,116 hours to Project POOCH so far this year
• 4 Youth earned Canine Basics Certificates
• 3 Youth earned Canine Advanced Certificates
• 16 dogs in the program; 12 dogs adopted
• Installed 2 new outdoor enclosures
• Replaced old flooring in our Agility Center with high-quality, shelter-grade flooring

Thank you for helping Project POOCH continue to provide life-changing opportunities to incarcerated youth, shelter dogs, adopters, and our community.

Links:

• POOCH Website: Redesigned!
• Upcoming Events
• Adoptable Dogs