Christ Yoder
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WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Monty’s Home is a non-profit rescue group that takes dogs out of local shelters, places them in Pender Correctional for basic inmate training, and then to loving homes.
The first step in choosing the dogs to be removed from the shelter. “We have a 19 step process where we test the dog to make sure he is social enough. That it can be manipulated. That it is good with other dogs and cats. We even have a little teddy toddler who we walk around to pull his tail around just to see if there’s an assault issue, ”said Barb Raab, founder of Monty’s Home.
Once five dogs are chosen, volunteers take them to the Pender Correctional for seven weeks of training with inmates as part of the Pawsitive Partners prison program. Dogs learn basic commands like sitting down, how to walk on a leash, how to come when called, how to wait for their trainer to call them. The Pawsitive Partners prison program started in 2008 and since then they have helped nearly 400 dogs find their new homes.
The program has proven to be very effective for both animals and inmates. “Several of them have gone out, they are staying in touch with us, they are following our Facebook page. They have successful lives, they have jobs, some of them have also entered the animal industry. So it gives them a second chance, that’s our motto. There is nothing better in life than a second chance, ”said Raab.
Monty’s Home is one of the rescue groups we feature on Fridays for Pet of the Week on Carolina in the Morning. A few weeks ago, we featured a seven-year-old lab named Gremlin. He was one of five dogs removed from the Pender County Animal Shelter around Halloween, so each was given a Halloween-themed name.
I’ve wanted to adopt just about every dog we’ve featured over the years, but Gremlin, whose new name is Bear, turned out to be the right one.
The process of adopting her began with a request, meeting with my family and my other dog Jewel. Next, a home visit and a video that goes over the important things you need to know about dog training and how to help you acclimatize your new pet to their new surroundings.
When you adopt a dog, you receive the crate it has slept in for seven weeks, a leash and collar or harness, the dog’s favorite toy, and a letter from the inmate who trained your dog. The inmate offers what he noticed with the dog’s personality.
You will also be given health information and some of the food the dog has eaten so that you can continue or slowly switch to another food.
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