Riverside County Dept of Animal Services launches prison dog foster program

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has partnered with Ironwood State Prison to bring people and animals together to help save and change lives through a novel foster program.

31 RivCo dogs started the foster program with incarcerated men at the state prison located in Blythe, where the dogs can socialize, exercise and learn new manners outside of the stressful shelter environment.

As one of the largest sheltering systems in the country taking in over 35,000 animals in 2024, RCDAS continues to operate in critically overcrowded shelters for dogs, and this new program is a unique opportunity to help both people and pets.

The human foster participants were screened and selected by prison staff and share daily caretaking responsibilities for the dogs.

“This program is all about community and learning new ways people and pets can support each other,” said Jaclyn Schart, RCDAS Deputy Director of Programs and Operations. “These dogs get to play, socialize and build connection with their caretakers who are also teaching them new skills, so when it’s time for adoption the dogs are better prepared to transition into their new environment.”

The dogs’ health is monitored by an RCDAS veterinary team, and prison officials oversee the daily schedules for the dogs and their caretakers. Throughout the program, the dogs practice or learn new skills like walking on leash and sleeping in a crate, but most importantly, they get to experience focused attention and care from their foster guardians.

Correctional Officer Randy Gregory first spearheaded a similar program at the Ironwood facility with a local rescue, but after hearing that shelters were struggling with overcrowding, he reached out to RCDAS.

“This program helps the inmates tremendously because they’re able to focus their energy, attention and time into helping dogs who might need extra support or just need help coming out of their shells,” said Gregory. “I know firsthand the kind of transformations that can happen when we invest in emotional healing, and if the dogs can help the inmates and vice versa then it’s a win all around. We’re excited to work together to get some dogs adopted and change the perception that people have towards shelter dogs.”

T. Jones is a foster guardian who has helped three dogs prepare for their forever homes while incarcerated at Ironwood. He credits fostering dogs with helping him find purpose and hopes the partnership with RCDAS can continue to grow.

“It’s empowering that people trust us with these dogs,” said Jones. “It’s helping the dog, but it’s helping us at the same time with a new responsibility. It’s teaching us patience, kindness and being in touch with our feelings.”

The RivCo dogs at Ironwood become available for adoption after 14 days in the program, if they are not first adopted by Ironwood staff or families of the foster guardians. Since starting the foster program in December, eight RivCo dogs have been adopted without having to return to a shelter.

“We’re grateful that Officer Randy from Ironwood State Prison brought this idea forward. We’re in the business of saying yes, especially when it comes to programs that create second chances,” said Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “Initiatives like this not only help dogs become more adoptable, but they also support rehabilitation by building responsibility, compassion, and purpose. It’s a powerful example of what can happen when institutions come together to serve both people and animals.”

According to Ironwood State Prison Warden, Chris Pierce, the program has been a great morale booster for the employees and incarcerated people. The goal is to expand the foster program capability to 80 dogs with 200 incarcerated handlers in the future. ISP is also planning to grow its support for RCDAS by providing 100 temporary kennels for emergency response situations.

“We are looking forward to growing our partnership with Riverside County and providing them with, what I believe to be, the best dog program in the state,” said Pierce. “We are here to help the dogs, and it’s amazing to see the dogs creating a positive impact at Ironwood in such a short amount of time.”

For more information on the Ironwood Dog Foster Program and how to adopt a dog in the program, visit www.rcdas.org/Ironwood.