By R. Norman Moody
Florida Today
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Suzuki stared up at Tom Reynolds as if waiting for a command. Reynolds, of Cape Canaveral, draws the dog close and tells how grateful he is to have the animal.
“He’s done phenomenal since I brought him home,” he said. Reynolds received Suzuki, a Labrador, shepherd and pit bull mix dog, through a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tomoka Correctional Institution Work Camp in Volusia County.
“He is going to be a good ambassador for the program,” said Reynolds, 66, a disabled Vietnam veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Prison Pups N Pals, which started about three years ago, is an effort involving the prison, West Volusia Kennel Club and Halifax Humane Society to train shelter dogs, making them more adoptable.
The dogs are paired with a prisoner, who lives with and trains the dog for seven weeks. About two of every 10 dogs go to the VA’s Paws of Freedom and receive an additional seven weeks of training. Some of those dogs are trained to open doors, turn off lights and bring the phone to its owner, depending on the needs of the veteran.
Reynolds, a Navy Seabee who did three tours in the Vietnam War and suffered gunshot wounds, said he believes the dog will be a great help and companion to him.
Full story: Inmate-trained dogs bring comfort to veterans