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Digging the Meditation Garden

Youth waters garden

JOAN DALTON Project POOCH

Director's Letter

NEXT YEAR, Project POOCH will celebrate 15 years of saving unwanted shelter dogs and pairing them with incarcerated male juveniles so that both dogs and youths will become outstanding members of their communities upon leaving corrections.

We started with one youth and one dog and have grown to helping 26 youths and their dogs during 2006.  When youths leave Project POOCH they have learned, among other skills, the importance of positive reinforcement in teaching dogs and children.

Many pass the Pet Care Technician test 1 and 2 for certification in properly handling dogs and cats in a kennel environment.  In addition, the course teaches customer service skills and working with others.

Youths learn construction skills.

We have been fortunate to have a partnership with the Oregon Youth Authority that allows building trades professionals to teach the youths skills for working in the construction industry. As a result, the youths built the original kennel with five dog runs, an education center with a small library and classroom, and most recently, a kennel addition with four runs and heated floors.  The next project will be to repair the original existing kennels and replace fencing material with solid panels. This project is funded by grants from the Juan Young Trust and the Karen M. Schroth Charitable Foundation for Animals.  It will be another opportunity for youths to learn skills that will help them find jobs when released. Working in and nurturing our meditation garden may lead some youths to discover they want to learn more about landscaping and plants. One youth in particular watered plants during the summer months and is now raking leaves dropped by a huge tree planted as a seedling by a POOCH youth 13 years ago!

All youths must take a daylong Pet First Aid class and some choose to refresh their skills by taking the class more than once.  The American Red Cross  provides a speaker and demo dogs while the youths learn how to handle different pet emergencies.

Thanks to kennel supervisor, ADAM BERGIN, youths are learning new computer skills by developing fliers to advertise their dogs for adoption, and writing POOCH resumes should they wish to find a job working with dogs when they are released from corrections.

CHARLIE ALLIS (board member) and DAVE WAKI(volunteer) are providing job coach assistance to youths who are close to their release date.  They help them practice their interview skills, and also critique their resumes.  Sometimes a dog sits quietly nearby during the interview. (Some research indicates a dog can calm anxiety in stressful situations!)

Our board of directors continues to be actively involved, meeting between board meetings to help shape the future for Project POOCH.  Our organization is very fortunate to have such skilled business people leading and providing guidance as we look at ways to serve more youths and provide the youths with more opportunities.

SUSIE WAKI has been doing an incredible job as our volunteer recruiter and coordinator. She is now planning a luncheon to honor our volunteers for their hard work, creativity, and commitment to the POOCH mission:  Learning responsibility, patience, and compassion.

In gratitude,
Joan Dalton, Executive Director

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