Greyhound Prison Dog Program

We are very fortunate to be a part of the Arizona 2nd Chance at Life Greyhound and Inmate Prison Partnership. This program takes retired racing greyhounds straight from the track, has them spayed or neutered and places them in select prisons around the country. We are working locally with the Corrections Corporation of America in their maximum security Saguaro Correctional Facility in Eloy, AZ. Heading up the program here in Arizona is Dan King from Fast Dogs Fast Friends who spent two years trying to get this program up and running here in AZ. Brad goes out to the prison once a week to teach the inmates that have been selected to for the program to teach the Greyhounds basic commands and manners.

There were very strict qualifications on the choosing of the inmates and this picture shows Brad, Dan King and his Greyhound Harry with the first eight handlers. Each Greyhound has two handlers and the dogs actually live in the cells with their handlers. These dogs have never lived in a home environment so their handlers need to teach them everything from housebreaking to basic obedience tasks.

Brad’s focus is not just to teach these men how to train these dogs but to train them to be dog trainers themselves. Not all of them will be released but for those that will, they will have the knowledge and skills to be professional dog trainers using our gentle and compassionate training methods. The benefits of this program are immeasurable. They Greyhounds lives are saved, their handlers are learning about unconditional love and being trained in a profession they may be able to continue when they are released, the presence of the dogs has had a positive impact on the prison population in general and the staff.

As more people get to know about this program and more Greyhounds get adopted we can expand the program to include more inmate handlers and more dogs. Our goal is to have at least eight dogs at all times in this facility and eight more in the La Palma facility next door.

Behind The Razor Wire

We’ll keep updating our blog with photos and more details about the progress of the dogs and the program. For more information or if you or someone you know are interested in adopting one of these special dogs or would like to donate to the program visit Fast Dogs Fast Friends .