NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Nashville-based organization is using service dogs to help incarcerated inmates learn transformative skills, and they're asking for help providing supplies for the dogs and pups-in-training.

The program Retrieving Independence provides inmates with a dog to train to give them a sense of purpose, dignity and work ethic. The organization works with incarcerated men and women who train service dogs, then the dogs are then released back out to society.

Dr. Brenda Dew, who passed away in December 2023, co-founded the non-profit with her friend Lesley Adams, back in 2012. They decided to begin the service dog training program in their first facility, the Turney Center Industrial Complex and then moved to the Debra Johnson Rehabilitation Center. They graduated the first class of dogs in 2013.

From there, the program continued to grow. There’s about 40 men currently participating in the program at TCIC and around 20 dogs. Retrieving Independence is now partnering with their third prison facility, The Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, for this life changing program. 

Current CEO of ‘Retrieving Independence’ Lauren Dougall said it’s important for those who are incarcerated to have a purpose. 

In other ways, Dougall says it’s transformative. Inmates can meet their dogs forever homeowners and learn hard and soft skills like communication, animal welfare, and job training. They also receive weekly counseling from a licensed physical therapist.

“It helps them work through some of the reasons why they may have led to being incarcerated in the first place, but also just continuing for them to work through things like working with their teammates in the prison facility,” Dougall said.

In the last year, the organization had four inmates released from incarceration and they are all now working in animal training and obtaining jobs in the industry. 

Most of the dogs start in the program as puppies and they don’t start their official training in the prison until they’re about eight months old. Dougall said they’re working with a handful of their formally incarcerated inmates to expand the program in the future. She’s asking supplies to help keep the dogs healthy so they can continue to serve in the program.

The program has a whole wish list of items they'd like including dog toys and treats. Anyone can donate to help fill the wish list or sign up to volunteer. Click the link here to find the wish list.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/nashville-organization-needs-help-providing-supplies-for-inmate-dog-training-program/