BARKS from the Guild July 2017

Page 36

TRENDS

A Positive Impact

Pam Francis-Tuss explains how the ALPHA program, which pairs at risk teens with shelter dogs,

I

came about, and the contribution it is making to the community

t was a chance meeting with a non-profit director in 2015 that has since turned into a partnership I could not even have imagined at the time. In addition to my own dog training practice I train dog handling and advanced dog handling to staff and volunteers at Sacramento, California’s Front Street Animal Shelter. Two years ago, public educator Amanda Banks was reaching out to shelters and rescues for support of her Adolescent Learning Powered by ALPHA dog trainers prepare Humane Advocacy (ALPHA) to enter the Sacramento Youth Detention Facility: (left to right) program, and fate happened Kristin Sizemore, Shari Crum, Erick Nickerson, Gabi Solorio to bring us together. and author, Pam Francis-Tuss Shortly after I met Banks and agreed to join her program, she was introduced to nonprofit organization, Not Just Animals. Not Just Animals would take therapy dogs to interact with struggling readers at local schools. They loved Banks’ idea of partnering shelter dogs with at risk youth and invited her to join them as executive director. The organization was renamed Pawsitive Impact and they focused their energies on the ALPHA program. To start with, Banks made contact with similar organizations throughout the United States to find out what worked and what did not in order for programs to be successful. Both K9 Connection in Santa Monica, California and Colorado Boys Ranch (CBR)

The ALPHA program works with at risk teens, and, with the assistance of shelter dogs, teaches them how to train a dog

36

BARKS from the Guild/July 2017

Youth Connect in Golden, Colorado reached out and were kind enough to act as mentors in the process. Next, one of Banks’ contacts put her in touch with the chief of Sacramento County Probation, who loved the idea and immediately arranged for us to operate at juvenile hall. After recruiting qualified dog handler volunteers from Front Street Animal Shelter and elsewhere, we were required to have them pass a background check, be fingerprinted, and attend two orientations – one at the Juvenile Justice Department and one at Pawsitive Impact. Banks and I worked on the curriculum, trained the volunteers, and soon the ALPHA program with Pawsitive Impact was in a position to go live. A five-week program that meets three days per week, ALPHA pairs incarcerated teens at the Sacramento Youth Detention Facility with shelter dogs for the purpose of training. Twice a week, with the assistance of a team of volunteers, the teens work in pairs, at my direction, collaborating with one another to train their dog. The third day each week is spent engaging with guest speakers who work with animals to expose the youth to animal related careers such as shelter workers, veterinarians, veterinar-

According to author FrancisTuss (pictured), the ALPHA program helps participants grow in confidence and selfesteem, while making shelter dogs more adoptable


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.