BARK — Bandit's Adoption and Rescue of K-9's

Botetourt’s Correctional Companions Program

About Correctional Companions
We are proud to participate in Botetourt Correctional Center’s Correctional Companions Program. The Correctional Companions Program changes the lives of dogs and people. As a dog lover, you know first hand the effect a dog can have on a human’s physical, emotional and mental state. Working with BARK dogs gives sixteen prison inmates the opportunity for therapeutic rehabilitation while learning to love unconditionally. The dogs learn skills and behaviors that will help them find and remain in a forever home. It’s truly a second chance for all involved.

How the Program Works
Inmates are selected on the basis of their behavior while serving their sentences and their demonstrated desire to participate in the program. The dogs are selected for the program based on temperament, personality and who might greatly benefit from the daily individualized socialization, attention and affection.

Two dogs are housed in each of the Center’s four dormitories and two inmates are responsible for each dog. Under the supervision of correctional staff members, inmates train and socialize the dogs in their care and maintain diaries on the dog’s progress.

What Do the Dogs Learn?
Each dog is house trained, crate trained, taught basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, lay down and speak, and tricks such as roll over, bang! dead dog, pray, right paw & left paw...Just as important, they learn that humans are friends they can count on for leadership and love.

Program Update/Who are our Correctional Companions Dogs available for adoption?
Botetourt Correctional Facility closed its doors in October, 2009, and the Correctional Companions program has been on hold while we search for a new partnership. But don't worry, five Correctional Companions graduates: Noel, Reese, Charlie, Caboodle, and Frankie are still available for adoption. To read the training diaries of these very deserving pooches, just click on their pictures.

Available:

Adopted:

Would you like to Adopt a Correctional Companions Dog?
Each Correctional Companions dog needs a forever home to go to after graduation. If you would like to adopt a Correctional Companions dog, please click here to complete an application.

If you have any questions about the program or adoption process, please contact program coordinator Amy Almeida at amy@barkva.org.