Thank you for providing a home for the dogs being raised in Prison Programs. Here is some basic information on the Prison Puppy Program and the role you would play in training these amazing dogs. As important as it is for the inmates to train the puppies, it is also crucial that the puppies at a young age learn good house manners and get exposed to environments outside the prisons.
Host request emails are sent by a Can Do Canines staff member. When you receive the email, please respond with the dates you wish to host. We will share pickup and drop-off instructions with you before your hosting commitment.
Hosts are provided with food and basic information about the pup they are hosting. When you’re done hosting a dog, we ask that you submit the Volunteer Feedback Form, which can be found on the Puppy Program Portal. We kindly ask you to complete this each time you foster.
You will receive the necessary supplies at time of pickup for the dog you are hosting. These supplies will include a basic care sheet, feeding information, dog food, and a head halter. For people taking the dog for 2-weeks as a Home Stay Host, a cape will also be included for outings. When returning supplies, do not send anything extra back to the prison, but please be sure all supplies received are returned so they have them available for the next host. Do not keep the cape at home as it belongs to the dog-in-training; they need it for daily use in their training.
If you choose to volunteer as a Two-Week Home Stay Host, please click here to complete the form to sign up for Public Access Training (cape rights) before you take a dog out in public. There is an online component to training and an in-person component. The in-person component will take about an hour, and we will meet at a public location. You can still host a dog before doing the Public Access Training, but you will need to complete the in-person training during the second week the dog is with you.
Most pick-ups and drop-offs will occur at the Can Do Canines facility in New Hope.
Hosting a dog directly from prison:
Photos are never allowed on prison grounds. Leave your cell phone in your vehicle. Turn off your vehicle and lock it when on prison grounds.
If you are hosting a dog directly from the Jackson facility, pick-up and drop-off is handled on prison grounds, but there is no contact with inmates. You may park just outside the first building in the main parking lot. You will enter the main Lobby and tell staff that you are there to pick up a dog for Can Do Canines.
For weekend hosting, each prison determines which dog is assigned to go to a volunteer, as they use a rotation. Unfortunately, you cannot request a specific dog.
Prison is a very controlled environment. If you must make changes to your established pickup or drop-off time please contact Puppy Program at 763-299-7642.
The prison has count times each day. The count is critical for each prison as it checks offender status. Nothing else happens during the count. If you are asked to come earlier or later than your scheduled time due to count or another reason, please understand. There is also the rare occasion that your meeting could be delayed due to an event at the prison, such as a conflict, count issue, lockdown, etc. If this happens, please be patient.