I was just watching the dog programme that shall not be names (what can I say, I don't like his methods but Moo likes watching dogs on telly) and they featured an American prison programme where 'dangerous' dogs who are on death row are given to prisoners to re-habilitate.

The prisons get a sense of achievement and self worth that will benefit them on release (I presume they were going to be released at some point but you never know with the America penal system) and the dogs, if successful calmed down, are rehomed.

What do you think?

I wonder if that would work over here... maybe, they should be allowed to adopt them on their release? or the human inmates be found placements at rescues?

I used to work with someone who regularly volunteered with an RSPCA shelter to assess and work on a 'last chance motel' solution for dogs deemed as too dangerous to rehome.

Whilst doing the job I know that she had the horrible task of deciding whether the dogs were indeed too dangerous to be rehomed and if they had to be put to sleep. I also know that with some of the animals she suited up with padding and had to employ some of the less pleasant techniques to make the dogs back down, as a direct alternative to them being put to sleep.

Someone has to make the decisions like this. It's not pleasant and unfortunately there will always be dogs that are so damaged by their life experiences (or those who have been trained into aggression) that they are unsuited to being in public spaces with other animals and children.

The big question to me is how one would decide which inmates had sufficient skills to help the dogs rather than making the problem worse by confusing or frightening them even more. I suppose that the people who organised the programme to which you are referring have ways of assessing prisoners and delivering training and support to them.

I gather it was part of a training programme, Caesar did a 3 day seminar (accomodation not included). I understand that the programme was targetting women who could empathise with the experience of the dogs.