"I hear it's worked well elsewhere," Rendell said. He vowed to personally raise money for the potentially costly network - no mean promise in light of Rendell's legendary gifts as a fund-raiser.
While the statewide network he envisions might be a first, using inmates as animal trainers and caretakers is not novel.
Prisons around the country - including at least four in Pennsylvania - have programs that match selected inmates with dogs. In some cases, inmates get special training, and in turn train the dogs to help the disabled or to serve as companion animals for families.
"It works for everybody," said Kelly McGinley, coordinator of the Hounds of Prison Education (HOPE) program, which has operated at the state's Camp Hill maximum-security prison since 2005. "It provides dogs with training and socialization, while foster groups work on placing them with families.
"At the same time, it has a calming effect on prisoners - even those not involved in the program."
Inmates qualify for the HOPE program if they have had no disciplinary infractions for at least a year. Those convicted of sex crimes or animal cruelty are not eligible.
In Phoenix, a full-scale, inmate-staffed shelter run by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office takes in abused dogs as well as those left behind when human domestic-violence victims enter shelters that bar pets. At a newly opened animal shelter in a prison in Jackson, La., inmates - much like those at Camp Hill - are to learn dog-training skills they can use when they are released, organizers say.
