Trainer, dogs and new human companion.

Offender-trained service dogs paired with humans

The Matching Ceremony was the culmination of 18-24 months of training by offenders at three NCDAC correctional facilities: Caswell, Warren and Orange.

Author: Brad Deen

Trainer redirects dog still in training.
Christopher Taylor redirects a service dog still in training.

HILLSBOROUGH — No mortarboards were tossed, but tails wagged exuberantly as the latest class of service dog graduates was paired with their new human companions at Orange Correctional Center.

The Feb. 24 Matching Ceremony was the culmination of 18-24 months of training by offenders at three NCDAC correctional facilities: Caswell, Warren and Orange. The four new service animals left their offender-trainers to begin helping people with medical conditions— from severe diabetes to neurological issues to mobility limitations — to live healthier, safer and more normal lives.

Trainer and dog demonstrate boost into a sitting position.
Joseph Tarlton demonstrates how Jimmy can boost someone with mobility impairments into a sitting position.

The dogs' regimen begins when they are puppies. For hours each day, offenders work with the Labradors and Lab mixes (noted for good disposition, trainability and sheer size for the occasional physical demands) on basic commands, followed by more specialized responses. They learn to provide a sturdy boost into a sitting position or a bracing back to prevent a fall. They retrieve cellphones, emergency snacks or medicine. They sense the onset of a medical episode, from plummeting blood sugar to an approaching seizure, and bark a warning.

ABEL, or At Both Ends of the Leash, is one of NCDAC's most selective offender rehabilitation programs. ABEL works with Hillsborough-based nonprofit Eyes Ears Nose & Paws (EENP), which provides the dogs and trains the offender-trainers.

Puppy naps.
Cupid, at 8 weeks, dreams of becoming a fully trained service dog.

Graduation did not conclude the education for canines David, Rose, Carr and Lattie — or for their new companions. EENP provides an intensive two-week “camp” for the two- and four-legged pairs that encourages bonding, reinforces known commands and provides any specialized training. Camp actually began the morning before the ceremony, with a field trip to SouthPoint Mall in Durham.