About Our Programs

"Pawsitive Second Chances" is a program designed and developed by Working Paws Training, Inc. where puppies are brought into a prison (of our choosing) and are trained to do basic obedience by the inmates of that prison. The inmates are carefully selected to ensure the best training and social experience for the puppies. The puppies get exposure and socialization to various different sounds, smells, and visual stimuli and the inmates get the opportunity to nurture the pups. The Pawsitive Second Chances program enhances shelter dog’s adoptability and placement into programs. After completing the program these puppies are highly desirable for adoption and other canine programs, such as K9s for Warriors, and the program ensures long-term success for both humans and canines. At the same time, we are opening the inmates’ eyes to a world of training and providing them with options for life outside of prison. 

The puppies used for this program have all been rescued from various kill-shelters throughout the country or have been rescued from unfortunate circumstances and are in the care of Pawsitive Possibilities Rescue, Inc. until they are adopted. We arrange their transport here and provide them with shelter, food, enrichment, toys, medical care, and unconditional love throughout their temporary stay with us until they find their forever homes. 

The Pawsitive Second Chances program lasts 6-8 weeks in which all aspects of dog training are professionally taught. The curriculum topics include basic obedience training, advanced obedience training, leash work, socialization, grooming and many other important elements of becoming a professional animal handler. Inmates are required to complete weekly homework assignments and must take the program seriously because we are training puppies who may one day work as a service dog to veterans or wounded warriors or may become the wonderful new addition to a loving family. Training a dog to become a companion, a service dog, or a working dog is a humbling thing to be a part of.

For this program the puppies are transported back and forth to the prisons we work with and begin their training as early as 8-weeks old, in groups of 5-6. Each inmate is paired with a puppy of their choosing who becomes their responsibility for the duration of each session.

Our instructors travel to each prison 1-2x a week for two hours each session to provide the instruction on how to care for, love, nurture and train these pups.

Pawsitive Second Chances is only as good as its participants, its dogs, its staff, its volunteers, and its supporters (you). We would not succeed without the help of everyone involved. Donations to Pawsitive Second Chances ensures the longevity of our life saving efforts and changes the lives of these animals forever.  

***Donations made to our Pawsitive Second Chances Program are tax-deductible***

Working Paws Training, Inc. wants to provide shelters with the necessary tools to keep their dogs happy, engaged, and well behaved so that they have a greater chance of being adopted and living out their lives in their forever homes instead of in a shelter setting. Shelters and rescue organizations throughout New York are overpopulated and do the best they can with the resources they have to give the animals they care for what they need and deserve. Unfortunately, most shelters and rescues do not have the resources to provide the dogs they care for with daily enrichment and training although most shelter dogs need this. The shelter environment is hard to adapt to for most dogs which is why many shelter dogs have behavioral issues. Working Paws Training, Inc. wants to alleviate this problem.

Our main objective is to work with dogs who have been at the shelter or rescue for an extended period of time or have been returned for behavioral issues. We assist in managing the range of behaviors deemed problematic by the shelter or rescue or deemed problematic based on our assessments. We perform assessments on each dog, set up individual training profiles for each dog, and change, edit, or modify current training and enrichment modules for the specified dogs, as well as the entire shelter’s population (if necessary). We want each dog to reach a more adoptable level or a level where the adopter can safely micromanage the range of identified behaviors. We will also implement a training module and enrichment module for the rest of the shelter population to promote, establish, and maintain positive behaviors so these dogs will continue to be adoptable and will have an enriching experience during their temporary stay with the shelter or rescue.

Support our rescue efforts with Pawsitive Possibilities Rescue. We strongly believe in their mission  to give homeless animals a clear second chance at a happy & healthy life by constantly maximizing their efforts to rescue, shelter, medicate, and rehabilitate those who cannot help themselves. We are proud to say we work with this amazing group of people and want to help them any way we can. Whatever amount you can afford to donate is appreciated and will go a long way.

Have a custom pencil drawing done of your pet to help others in need! All proceeds go to supporting the rescue mission of Pawsitive Possibilities Rescue, Inc.

When you shop through Amazon Smile a portion of the money that you spend on select products will be donated to Pawsitive Possibilities Rescue, Inc. at no additional costs to you. They will get a 0.5% donation from the purchase of any products with the label “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation.”  We’d greatly appreciate you keeping us (and the animals) in mind next time you make an order through Amazon!