Change the Lives of Troubled Youth & Shelter Dogs

As I pause to reflect on the transformative journey at Project POOCH over the past year, I am filled with gratitude for the unwavering support that has made it all possible.

We realized we had an opportunity as we turned the calendar to 2023. All but one of our POOCH pups had been adopted, leaving us with a near-empty kennel. After many years of heavy usage, we knew our facility needed significant updates to meet industry standards of care. Now was the time. We consulted an external expert from the Oregon Humane Society, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work.  

We invested significant financial resources to update our kennel facilities and operations to meet the Association for Shelter Veterinary (ASV) Guidelines for Shelter Care. This overhaul required an operational pause while we removed flooring, fixtures, and furniture. Each change ensured we would meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the dogs in our care. A few highlights include:

• Installed non-porous, continuous flooring throughout the kennel.
• Updated our daily and weekly cleaning protocol to adhere to industry best practices for shelter care.
• Increased our daily operational hours from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. to decrease kennel stress and provide additional working opportunities for the youth.
• Changed our staffing model and added two Project POOCH dog trainers to our staff to ensure the youth receive daily instruction and the opportunity to work with a dog trainer.

We also worked closely with the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility team to identify program updates to better serve today’s youth. We now offer part-time work opportunities for youth in college or learning other vocational trades, and we are rebuilding our training curriculum around a trauma-informed care framework.

These updates have led to a 30 percent increase in youth participants in our program in 2023 and an average 65 percent increase in hours worked by youth per month. The more hours the youth are at the kennel, the more time they have to interact with the dogs, learn from the POOCH team, and interact with their peers in a productive way. At Project POOCH, we work to build a functional and positive team, so the youth know when they are at POOCH, they are in a safe space to learn, ask questions, and thrive.

The Project POOCH youth thriving. They are working as a team, supporting and mentoring each other, and eagerly ask questions and seek new training opportunities. Youth are gaining access to national training certifications and online training modules. In addition to kennel management and dog training, youth are learning writing and communication skills as they keep dog journals and daily notes to inform the next day’s workers.

POOCH pups are thriving with more daily interaction with the youth and staff team. Pups are out of their kennels for 60 percent or more of our operational hours. They spend time in the yards, classroom, and training center. Pups get walking, training, play, and snuggle time. The youth work with the staff to identify each dog’s needs and create a training plan. Each pup’s feeding, walking, enrichment, and stress level are tracked daily by the youth on our communication board.

And, as always, adopters gain a new, loving family member and know that in adopting from POOCH, they support a program that gives back to their community.

As we end this year of transformation, I am full of a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to our mission. Each day, I get to witness growth in our youth participants. I watch their faces light up when they teach a dog a new skill, and their bodies relax when they sit in a kennel and snuggle a pup. The youth and dogs help each other relax and trust again. Together, they build their confidence and find joy and hope for a better future.

Please help me continue to make Project POOCH a strong and integral part of our community by making a year-end donation today. Through your support, we can make a difference in the lives of incarcerated youth and shelter dogs.
Thank you,

Links:

• Adoptable Dogs
• Asher Finds a Home