At the South Dakota State Penitentiary we went to the dogs.  It started about 2002 when one of the mental health counselors brought his pet miniature poodle to work with him since he knew some men trusted animals more than people.  After he left for another position, it seemed lonely without a dog around the place.

The prison entered into an arrangement with the Humane Society to house and train dogs that needed to be socialized and taught basic commands to make them more adoptable.  The dogs are housed in a garage at night and taught basic commands by inmates who are trusties during the day.  They are also brought into the maximum and medium security units to the recreation yards during recreation time where they can socialize with the inmates.  Sometimes the handlers bring them to the chapel office area.

When one of the trusties brings them to Jameson or the Hill, someone needs to take them through the gates inside to the dog handler waiting for them.  The job of a dog handler is one desired by many.  At times, the person taking them through the gate is me if I happen to be going in when the trusty has a dog in the lobby waiting to go in.

I learned my lesson, however.  As you can imagine, many of the dogs supplied by the Humane Society are of the larger type and in their adolescent years.  I volunteered to take one into Jameson one day and then saw that the dog handler wasn’t waiting on the other side of the gate.  I was supposed to take the dog to the recreation yard.  He took me.  He started running down the hall with me holding onto his leash looking like a water skier behind a fast boat.  He pulled me past the mess hall where some inmates were finishing a meal.   They thought it was hilarious.  He didn’t stop until we reached the gate to the recreation yard.  Thank goodness the handler showed up by then so I could hand him over and catch my breath.

Since then, I don’t volunteer to take a dog through the gates unless I can see the handler on the other side a few feet away.  If the dog is gigantic, I let him wait until a big burly officer can take him through.

Mary Montoya