Modeled after the first prison dog program started by Sister Pauline Quinn at a Washington state prison in 1981, the Guardian Angel K-9 Training Program at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center (“MBCC”) in McLoud, Oklahoma, got its start with three dogs in January 2014.
Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any other state, and most of those women were neglected and abused before they were locked up. The Guardian Angel K-9 Training Program pairs such women with rescued dogs that have also been neglected and/or abused, and the results have been remarkable. Ladies who were once affection-starved, distrustful, guarded, and vulnerable have become open, loving, and self-assured. Simply put, the program’s participants have blossomed like a rose.
What’s more, the Guardian Angel Program’s positive impact has spread to other inmates at MBCC. The program is located in the prison’s medical unit, where the most physically and mentally impaired inmates are housed. Program participants often take their dogs to visit with those women, and whereas there was once an overwhelming spirit of sadness and depression among them, those ladies actually smile and laugh out loud all because of the dogs’ love. It’s amazing!
As of October 2014, the Guardian Angel Program has grown to include seven dogs, seven trainers, and seven assistant handlers. The program has saved and changed the lives of many inmates and dogs alike.