Meet Project POOCH
Positive Opportunities, Obvious Change with Hounds
Project POOCH, Inc. ®, is a non-profit, 501c(3) organization that has successfully paired incarcerated youths with homeless shelter dogs for over a decade.
The dogs leave the program ready to be great pets, while their trainers reenter the community with new job and personal skills and an increased compassion and respect for all life.The youths work with their dogs daily, and practice the principles of positive reinforcement and behavior modification. As the trainers manage their dogs, they learn how to manage their own behavior. They also earn school credits, develop good work habits, and acquire valuable occupational skills.
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The relationships, emotional support and mutual trust established between the trainers and dogs are pivotal to the success of the program. For some students and dogs, this relationship is a first experience of unconditional love, and it helps them develop the selfconfidence and hope they need to build future relationships.
