BY KARI KUH

DBCHS

This week our featured pets are Heidi and April, two dogs currently in the Mutts with Manners training program at Northpoint Training Center.

Danville-Boyle County Humane Society’s (DBCHS) Mutts with Manners program matches carefully screened prison inmates with a shelter dog for six weeks.

Heidi, April, and the other Mutts with Manners dogs live with the inmates in the prison dormitory and attend weekly training sessions. They work with a professional trainer, prison staff, and volunteers to learn basic obedience training, socialization, and behavior modification.

They follow a strict regimen that provides the dogs with the structure they need to adapt to a traditional home. Mutts with Manners trained dogs are more confident, better behaved, and ready to start a new life with a loving family. They are all AKC Canine Good Citizen certified, too!

Heidi is a 5-year-old black lab mix with a white splash on her chest and paws. She’s energetic and athletic and enjoys chasing tennis balls and playing soccer.

April is a retriever mix, too, and she’s also black and white. April is about 9 months old and is sweet, submissive, and a little shy.

If you are interested in one of our Mutts with Manners dogs, please complete a Mutts with Manners application here: https://bit.ly/3wNMhkj. One of our devoted Mutts with Manners volunteers will contact you if your application is a match.

Did you know? It’s National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, a time to recognize animal welfare’s first responders. DBCHS and Boyle County Animal Control are separate organizations that work closely together. We share a building and phone number, resources, and a concern for the animals – and people! – in our community.

Boyle County Animal Control is the government agency responsible for reuniting lost pets with their owners and enforcing domestic animal laws in Boyle County. Our municipal partners at animal control help you if you find a stray pet, lost your pet, suspect neglect or abuse, or have an encounter with an aggressive cat or dog. Also, If you need to surrender an animal, you call animal control to make an appointment.

This is a short list of what animal care and control staff do day in and day out to care for sick, neglected, and homeless animals. They also provide support and education to pet owners while handling stressful and scary situations with grace. Their job is never done and it’s often thankless.

The humane society relies heavily on the tireless efforts of Shelter Director Christina Lombardo and Animal Control Officers James Goode and Elias Delbridge; it’s a true privilege to work alongside these dedicated professionals.

On behalf of the humane society board and staff, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to Boyle County Animal Control staff Christina, James, and Elias for all they do to care for animals in our community – they’re simply the best!

About us: The Danville-Boyle County Humane Society is a non-profit 501 (c)(3)  established in 1972 to promote companion animals’ humane treatment through sheltering, adoptions, community education, and spay and neuter programs.