VIDEO: ‘Every Greyhound Has a Story’ – Prison Pet Partnership

VIDEO: ‘Every Greyhound Has a Story’ – Prison Pet Partnership

Thursday, 14 July, 2016

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A partnership with Corrections Victoria has proven a godsend for the Greyhound Adoption Program, as inmates at minimum security Dhurringile and Tarrengower prisons have helped prepare hundreds of former racing greyhounds for life as a pet.

The Prison Pet Partnership started at Dhurringile men’s prison in 2007 and then at Tarrengower women’s prison in 2009, with around 70 greyhounds going through the prisons each year.

Four greyhounds at a time go into each prison for several weeks, with selected inmates acting as foster carers.

Sonya Pritchard, Offender Management Supervisor at Tarrengower Prison, said the greyhounds encounter a number of valuable life experiences while in the prison, having previously lived on a farm and in a racing kennel.

“The inmates teach the dogs to walk on a loose lead, to have awareness of what’s around them, and to go from walking up and down small stairs. They also teach them to sit, which is not always easy for a greyhound, as well as giving them a second chance at life,” Ms Pritchard said.

As well as the greyhounds gaining many hours of socialisation and basic obedience through the Prison Pet Partnership, inmates also benefit by obtaining companionship and experience working with animals.
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