K-9 Youth Leaning Advocacy Project
Its purpose is three-fold: Juveniles on probation or in detention facilities have an opportunity to train dogs brought over from shelters. The youth bond with the dogs and develop vocational skills associated with responsibilities of dog training. Likewise, the dogs are able to “work” and be engaged with a human companion. Importantly, these dogs are spared euthanasia. At the end of the program, we envision the dogs will be adopted-out to various community health facilities in need of solidly trained therapy dogs or adopted as well trained, well adjusted family pets
The long term goals of the program are to reduce recidivism rates among youth offenders and to reduce the number of dogs who perish in shelters. The method is to provide both the youth and dogs with a means to flourish. The dogs serve as a catalyst for the youth to better connect through dog training and responsibility education. Often times, these kids are numb. They don’t trust adults. People have let them down. The trust that builds up within the dog-youth relationship can make all the difference in the world for young adults in building self-worth and confidence. The dogs would help them to “plug back in.”
Likewise, the dogs are given a new home and a stimulating environment. The dogs we plan to utilize in the project would come from shelters in local areas. We plan to team up with shelters in western Washington that have screened their dogs for aggression, shyness, and friendliness. The key to this program and other successful existing models is that dogs don’t judge their teenage trainer. The dogs just want to be loved and will likely give non-judgmental, unconditional love to their new friends in return.
Just as more emphasis lately has been placed on developing re-entry programs for adult offenders, K.Y.L.A. Project holds to a similar principle, but it focuses upon juveniles and empathy training. The hope is to reduce youth from committing crimes as adults by refocusing them. We are starting at the beginning, so to speak. The youth are pre-selected based upon desire to change, type of crime committed, and interest in the program.
Further, the Program has a restorative justice component as well. The youth are held to a strict contract. They must finish the program and abide by all guidelines. The selected youth see through the goal to the end and experience the joy of accomplishment. This Project provides an integrated approach whereby the participants learn about commitment, responsibility and empathy, as well as proper grooming, basic training techniques, and fundamentals of canine behavior.
The youth would not only train the dogs, but also serve as the dog handler while at the sponsor-facility. Individuals with cancer, the elderly, or other disabilities can reap the benefits of their hard earned effort. In essence, the Program provides youth with positive reinforcement from the greater community. Individuals in health facilities are excited to see the dogs, which reflect in their happy faces. In turn, the youth will have a chance to see themselves reflected in other people’s eyes differently than they have before. Although societial pressures may negatively reinforce in these kids who they are and what they will amount to, this program seeks to change their own negative impressions of themselves.
There are a lot of pieces to this Program, which require the collaboration of a number of different players and professionals, crossing over into different fields. Such players include community supervision (probation) officers, community detention officers, social workers, dog trainers, and court personnel such as judges, prosecutors, and public defenders.
Currently, we are working on finding groups who are receptive to a restorative, empathy training program based on collaboration. We encourage dialogue and seek interested professional dog trainers, social workers, grassroots organizers, and those who are motivated to make a difference in shaping the future through a program such as ours.
For those interested donating their time, thoughts, or efforts in the K.Y.L.A. Project, please contact: volunteers@kylaproject.org