I hesitated to post about this because it may come off like I'm tooting my own horn, but trust me I'm not. I'm just so THRILLED that the locals at our Department of Corrections FINALLY got this program going. Three years ago in January, I was religiously watching the Cell Dogs show on Animal Planet. During one episode, the light bulb went off: we had all the makings of a program right here in our county. The minimum custody prison, animal control and the veterinary tech program through our local community college all sat in a perfect triangle within eyeshot of one another. It's a LONG story, but I wrote up a proposal, submitted it to the NC Department of Corrections. It was three years of headaches because this county doesn't do anything in a hurry, but have a look at the video of the Kick Off for our first class of trainers and dogs. It's only around a 3 minute video. I'm not in the video, just in the background, but these were some of the folks I got to work with me on it. I could just bust my buttons! 
http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/PublicInformation/closeups/2007-04-30NewLeashOnLife.wmv
I had tentatively named the program Serendipity because of the geographic location of all the pieces needed, but since the Dept. of Corrections came up with New Leash on Life for the other units, they called it that. The case manager in the video did give me a nod though: they made up a wooden sign that says Serendipity and he let me pick where it was to be placed in the kennels.
http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/PublicInformation/closeups/2007-04-30NewLeashOnLife.wmv
I had tentatively named the program Serendipity because of the geographic location of all the pieces needed, but since the Dept. of Corrections came up with New Leash on Life for the other units, they called it that. The case manager in the video did give me a nod though: they made up a wooden sign that says Serendipity and he let me pick where it was to be placed in the kennels.
