‘All about second chances’: Incarcerated veterans in Texas train shelter dogs for a better life

A new partnership between Austin Animal Center and the Travis Unit state prison in East Austin is giving shelter dogs and incarcerated veterans a path to brighter futures. The Enduring Service program places animals from the often-overcrowded shelter with volunteer trainers who are incarcerated veterans, pairing each dog with two handlers for a 12-week training course aimed at improving behavior and increasing adoption chances. One of the inaugural dogs, Chico, is a labrador-husky mix with a blocky head and brown eyes who arrived extremely anxious and shut down. He was assigned to trainers including Jeff Pruski and Richard Vasquez; when Chico’s second trainer was released in April, Pruski continued working with him alone. Over the program, the handlers reshaped daily routines around the dogs, with early mornings, medication and focused time outdoors and in training. Austin Animal Services staff selected dogs they thought would benefit from time away from the shelter, matching quieter dogs with quieter volunteers and more playful dogs with handlers who wanted to be active. Brendan Gemmell, the Austin Animal Services trainer who leads weekly classes inside the prison, said the twelve-week curriculum focused on foundational calmness and moved quickly into more advanced skills as the group progressed. Chico’s progress was steady: he became willing to play with other dogs, showed physical signs of interest such as a curled tail, and tolerated baths, though he still startles at sudden movements and remains wary of strangers. Graduation took place in the prison visiting room; some dogs were placed into foster homes, several were adopted at or after graduation, and others remain available at the shelter. Richard Vasquez, who had been one of Chico’s handlers and was released from custody a few weeks before graduation, drove four hours from his home in Denison to bring Chico home after a planned adoptee was delayed at work. Vasquez and Chico are settling into life outside the fences, and both handlers said the program gave them purpose and helped them learn patience and responsibility. Enduring Service is the first group at the Travis Unit and was modeled on an existing program in Williamson County; program leaders say other units have shown interest and the Dalby unit in Garza County has already started a similar effort. Organizers are preparing a new cohort in which incarcerated trainers will rotate leading classes and some participants hope to pursue careers in dog training or grooming, while Austin staff continue to advocate for permanent homes for the dogs that complete the program.