Project Pooch

Specialties

Project POOCH, Inc.® provides opportunities for youth in corrections to develop the personal and vocational skills they will need to become responsible, productive members of the community. The program accomplishes this by teaching youth to care for and train shelter dogs for adoption.

Project POOCH has successfully paired youths incarcerated at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon, with homeless shelter dogs since 1993.

Youths (guided by professionals) learn to train the dogs, groom them, and find them new adoptive «forever homes.» The dogs leave the program ready to be great pets, while their trainers re-​enter the community with new job and personal skills and increased compassion and respect for all life.

Project POOCH, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a 501 © (3) charitable organization, Tax ID # 93 – 1 252 054 — your donation is tax-​deductible.

History

Established in 1993.

Joan Dalton founded the program in 1993 while she was vice principal at MacLaren’s Lord High School. She started with one dog and one youth. Since that time Project POOCH, Inc.® has changed (and saved) the lives of hundreds of dogs and youths.

The youths work with their dogs daily and practice the principles of positive reinforcement and behavior modification. As the trainers manage their dogs, they learn how to manage their own behavior. They also earn school credits, develop good work habits, and acquire valuable occupational skills.