A Tattoo to Remember

                                                       

 

Lima Patrolman Zane Slusher sports his tattoo with his K-9 "Fanto"

    

             I've been seeing a lot of tattoos in our office lately. It seems like they're everywhere, and on everybody. Summer attire might have something to do with this, being what it is, or isn't. No parts appear to be off limits - feet, legs, hands, arms, shoulders, necks... relax, I'll stop there. I don't have any tattoos myself, if you haven't already guessed. I'm too chicken.

            To be honest, though, I truly don't understand what the appeal of a tattoo is, or why people want to get them so badly. Oh, if you were a Marine and have "USMC" or "Semper Fi" stamped on you- I get that. Or, if you are a cancer survivor and want to celebrate your health, or honor a lost loved one, I get that, too. But some of the designs, written phrases, and ethnic symbols, I just don't get. I know I'm showing my ignorance...or "fogey-ness." One thing I have not detected in any of the tattooed that I have met, however, is regret.

            Several of my co-workers have tattoos, some of them still pretty fresh. For all I know, they may all have a tattoo. Dr. Bonnie Jones doesn't have any. I can attest to that.

            One of my co-workers had been contemplating getting a half- sleeve for quite some time. I've never been what I'd describe as an "arm" man before, but this girl has really beautiful arms. "Why do you want to do that to your arm?," I would ask her over and over again . She always replied that I sounded like her mother. I took that as a compliment.

            After the deed was finally done, she came to work the next day with her newly inked arm covered with clear tape. "Thank God you got a stick-on!" I exclaimed. She laughed. It wasn't a stick-on. It was real. Obviously, the tattoo wasn't a choice I would have made, but if it makes her happy, then who am I to judge?

             In regard to my clients with tattoos, I have no problem not judging them as well. Over the last thirty plus years, some of the most dedicated and conscientious pet care-givers I have dealt with have had multiple tattoos, and several even had a good amount of body piercings. Apparently, the same attention to detail that applies to their body art  also applies to the care of their pets. Like they say, you shouldn't judge a book, or your clients, by their colorful covers.

            In spite of all the tattoos I saw this summer, there is another that stands out in my memory. I witnessed it in the summer of 1969. My parents and I went on a trip to visit my Uncle Hugh and his family. They lived in Scarsdale, about an hour north of New York City.

            On the Sunday morning of our stay, Uncle Hugh took my dad and me to a local bagel shop. The man behind the counter was middle-aged and had curly, sandy-gray hair. He also had the most expressive eyes. They were quite cheery when the man engaged a customer, but when he turned away, his eyes suddenly became exceedingly sad.

            Then I saw a tattoo on his left forearm. It consisted simply of numbers, I think six of them. I couldn't help but stare. Although it was my ninth birthday, I didn't have to ask what the numbers meant. I just knew.

            The man didn't try to cover the tattoo, and obviously hadn't had it removed. I can only imagine that the numbers, a symbol of what humans are capable of doing to one another, to him were also a symbol of life. As far as I know, he is the only Holocaust survivor I have ever encountered.

            Nearly half a century later, I've not forgotten that moment nor what his tattoo represented. Children see things they remember forever. If they see something bad, hopefully, something good can be learned from that experience.

 

By Dr. John H. Jones 

Dr. John Jones practices at Delphos Animal Hospital with his wife, Dr. Bonnie Jones.

Prison Dogs

                                                                                  

"Kiri" is a happy graduate of the AOCI Prison Program

           Prison Pet programs have become a common feature in correctional institutions around the country.  These programs take in shelter dogs and cats and work with them so that they will be more adoptable.  Some provide basic training for service dog agencies.  A few even work with horses.  

 

          Our own local facility, Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution, has had an active and successful pet program for quite a while.  The AOCI program is currently working with dogs provided by the Ohio SPCA (the former Humane Society of Allen County) and local rescue group Deb’s Dogs.  The program also works with cats, but the main focus at AOCI is the rehabilitation and training of shelter and rescue dogs.  The goal is to see every single one of them in a good “forever” home.  It lives up to its official name:  P.E.T.S. (Pets Educated To Survive.)

         When new dogs come in they are assigned to a primary inmate handler who is responsible for the daily care and training of the dog.  There is also a secondary handler for each dog, who will step in as needed to help.  The dogs live in the handlers’ cells.  The dogs are given time to become accustomed to life in their new home before serious training begins.  They learn to trust their new people, are housetrained, and are gradually exposed to life in a prison setting. 

 

         Usually by the second week basic obedience training begins.  The dogs are taught using the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program as a rough guide.  They learn to respond to the commands of Sit, Down, Stand, and Stay.  They learn to walk nicely on a leash and to come when they are called.  They learn proper greeting behavior and to be handled by others. They are socialized to all sorts of people. 

 

           Near the end of their ten-week stay in the prison, the dogs are run through the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, and most of them pass.  Those that aren’t able to pass are given a certificate attesting to what they have learned and where problems still exist.  The handlers work with behavior problems along with the obedience training.  Typically these include separation anxiety, aggression, fear, resource guarding, destructive activity, barking, and the like. 

 

         By the time a dog leaves the program his behavior and training have improved dramatically.  The handlers learn to be “jacks of all trades” in this program and become proficient at obedience training, behavior modification, and health care.  Each dog leaves with a detailed journal that gives specifics of the dog’s stay, training, behavioral work, health, and temperament.  This is given to the new owner when the dog is adopted.

         A very special service is provided by the Vietnam Veterans group within the prison.  They have generously offered to pay the adoption fees for two exceptional dogs each year that receive additional training and are placed with veterans suffering from PTSD or mild TBI (traumatic brain injuries.)  So far two dogs have received this extra training and have become valued companions to their veteran owners.

         The handlers are a dedicated group.  Most are in the program because they have a passion for working with dogs and they work hard to make their charges ready for a permanent home.  They all value the companionship of their dogs, even if it is temporary.  And when the time comes for a dog to return to the shelter, the hander may grieve the loss of his friend but he will have the satisfaction of knowing that he probably saved that animal’s life by making it adoptable.

         The OSPCA is not doing any serious advertising of their prison-trained dogs at this time, but you will find some of these nicely-trained dogs there, just biding their time until they are discovered.  The “Deb’s Dogs” animals are regularly featured at adoption events.  If you adopt one of these great dogs, please consider taking a photo of your pet in its new home and send it, along with a note, to the handler who put his heart and soul into helping it get ready for life with you and your family.  This small gesture means a lot.



By Dorothy Miner

 Dorothy Miner is a long-time dog obedience and tracking instructor, judge of canine events, and author.  She teaches weekly classes for the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution’s PETS Program and provides training and consultation under the banner of “Sidekicks” and “Training for Dogs and Their People.”