US EditionTears and tail wags: Inmates reunite with service dogs they raised
- On Friday in San Quentin's main courtyard, two black Labradors, Wendel and Artemis, reunited with Chase Benoit and Jared Hansen, the incarcerated men who helped raise them to be service dogs.
- The reunion was made possible by Canine Companions, a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit that provides free service dogs to people with disabilities and runs the puppy training program at San Quentin, launched in April 2023.
- The incarcerated trainers, including Benoit and Hansen, shared their 4 foot-by-10 foot cells with the 4-month-old puppies for a year, teaching them foundational commands and providing care, and only inmates without records of animal or child cruelty are allowed to participate.
- Benoit, serving 15 years-to-life for second-degree murder, expressed that the puppy training program has given him a sense of meaningful purpose, stating, "Being in this program, it's given me something that I think I've searched for my whole life."
- The dogs trained in prison programs have a 10% greater success rate at becoming service dogs compared to other candidates, and the emotional reunion highlighted the positive impact of the program on both the incarcerated trainers and the recipients of the service dogs, such as Benjamin Carter, a veterinarian who uses a wheelchair and was matched with Artemis.
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82 Articles
Sit, stay, say goodbye - West Hawaii Today
In the year since Pat and Jane Hipsley brought home Pogo, they’ve spent hours teaching the Labrador puppy how to walk by their side and ignore cooing strangers; how to roll, retrieve her leash and ride an escalator. They’ve learned that Pogo is not a fan of tight spaces, and that her favorite snack is a carrot. Every night, Pogo has fallen asleep at the foot of their bed. Each morning, she has greeted them with a wagging tail.
Pasadena Star News
The Mercury newsTears and tail wags: San Quentin inmates reunite with service dogs they raised
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ | Associated Press SAN QUENTIN — Hugs, tears, barking and tail wagging abounded at San Quentin’s prison when two black Labradors reunited with the incarcerated men who helped raise them to be service dogs. The emotional reunion brought together Chase Benoit, Jared Hansen and the 2-year-old dogs they helped train: Wendel and Artemis. It was the men’s first time seeing their former canine companions again and their first time …
Associated Press News
Tears and tail wags: Inmates reunite with service dogs they raised
There were big smiles, hugs, tears and lots of tail wagging inside San Quentin’s prison recently. All the emotions came together when two black Labradors reunited with the incarcerated men who raised them as puppies and helped them prepare to become service dogs.
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