Our program, "Saved by a Greek Stray," at the Agricultural Department of the Women's Prisons in Eleonas Thiva, is licensed by the Ministry of Food and Rural Development. It started in March 2018 and continues to date.
Each year, selected dogs from our shelter move to the prisons, where they reside with the inmates and receive training. The conditions in the agricultural prisons are ideal, resembling home environments rather than conventional cells. For the dogs, this program serves as a pre-training before they are adopted into their forever homes.
Our trainer, Panagiotis Mitsiopoulos, visits the prisons and effectively trains not only the dogs but also the participating inmates. He teaches them how to train the dogs. Beyond basic commands, the animals are trained in all aspects of living with humans in a home environment.
They learn to walk on a leash, communicate with other dogs, cats, and people, and manage situations they will face in a home when adopted— such as sounds from the TV, ringing bells, external voices, absence of people at certain times of the day, coexistence with their owners, etc.
The program helps dogs, especially those that is challenging to socialize in a shelter environment. The next step for each dog in the prison program, is adoption, and so far, we have a 100% success rate.
We are very proud of this program, and over the years, many stories of people and dogs have deeply moved us. Dogs and inmates essentially help each other, sharing their lives and daily routines with long-lasting benefits.
Watch the story of our trainer, Panagiotis Mitsiopoulos, and his dog Joey, adopted as a puppy, now assisting other dogs in prisons to be trained and find their forever homes.