The training of “familyless” dogs by the inmates of Vila Real prison and mutual rehabilitation is the goal of the Pelos 2 project, in which the animals are brought to the prison twice a week.
The moment the dogs cross the gates of the EP in Vila Real is the most anticipated of the week for Thiago, 35, a hermit who wants to be called by his first name only and who is already an ambassador for “Pelos 2” which implements the association DTC Social .
“It was a five-star initiative, both to help the animals and to help me pass the time here. It was fantastic to participate,” he told Lusa, highlighting his passion for dogs.
As an ambassador, he also has the task of helping other prisoners fulfill their role as educators.
The animals are a breath of fresh air that passes through the gates of Vila Real prison twice a week. Lusa accompanied one of the sessions, which began in the outer courtyard, but later moved inside the building due to the intense heat.
“I have always admired dogs and have been here to help raise them for their reintegration into society, so it’s a double treat,” said Thiago, who is serving preventive detention and awaiting trial for drug use. .
This Pelos 2 miniseries features 24 inmates, but the project is expanding to five more prisons in the north of the country, with a total of 99 dogs and 369 male and female inmates.
Members train dogs to improve their behavior so they can be adopted. The animal is taught to walk on a leash, sit or lie down, and when it obeys, it is rewarded with cookies.
“In the situation I am in right now, it means a lot. Spending time learning is a big help here at the facility,” Thiago said, introducing Lara, the shy and fearful dog he trained with.
Duarte Capela, 59, is serving a sentence for drug trafficking and Dingo is his partner.
“Being here is not easy, I get distracted when I come here, I like dogs, I like to teach them and they recognize me too. was help to “be patient more.”
Detained for 15 months, Duarte has been sentenced to four years in prison and is awaiting the outcome of an appeal.
Artur Silva, 46, is Mel’s trainer and said he enjoyed the project for dogs and the association’s team, which taught him “a lot of good things” about how to take care of and respect animals.
Also serving a sentence for drug trafficking, he said that this time the dog helped him “take his mind off his mind a bit” inside the prison.
“The idea is that, in the end, both dogs and humans walk away with improved skills that allow them to better integrate into society. On the part of dogs, the ideal is that they find a family, that they can be adopted, on the part of people, it is that they use this time of seclusion to strengthen or work on behavioral, social skills such as empathy,” said Silvia Sousa , psychologist at DTC Social.
In her opinion, “mutual rehabilitation is the keyword” of this project, and when asked if Pelos 2 benefits prisoners, the person in charge answered “yes”.
This association conducts interventions with animals, and keeper António Brandão stressed that the mission is to “help animals and people” by giving a second chance to dogs that have been abandoned and also returned to the kennel due to behavioral problems.
Therefore, he added, the goal is to reduce the chance of returning, while at the same time, caregivers can acquire concepts and dog education, tools that can be useful when they leave the EP.
“The payoff from working with educators is great, meaning the whole process is very rewarding,” António Brandão said, highlighting the hope that he can “change someone’s life.”
Maria Celeste Martins, director of the OP in Vila Real, highlighted the positive results of the project, noting that there is a “significant reduction in anxiety and aggressiveness” of participating prisoners, and that this is also noticeable “in the behavior they have with each other.”
“For the prisoners, this was a huge added value,” he stressed.
Enrollment in the program is voluntary, but it is necessary to meet the criteria, namely that the prisoner must have no history of mistreatment or cruelty to animals, and must have sufficient residence time during each intervention cycle, which corresponds to three months.
The cycle of this group of prisoners is coming to an end, and everyone unanimously wishes that the project could be expanded.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.