The Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) has partnered with Ironwood State Prison in Blythe to launch a new foster program that gets dogs out of overcrowded shelters while providing incarcerated people an opportunity to give back.
“It’s all about saving lives and changing lives in the process,” Veronica Perez, RCDAS public information officer, said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “We’re just really grateful that we were able to set this up.”
According to Perez, the program started in December after Correctional Officer Randy Gregory reached out to RCDAS after learning about the department’s struggle with overcrowding. Gregory had previously spearheaded a similar effort with a local rescue.
“This program helps the inmates tremendously, because they’re able to focus their energy, attention and time into helping dogs who might need extra support or just need help coming out of their shells,” Gregory said in a news release announcing the program. “I know firsthand the kind of transformations that can happen when we invest in emotional healing, and if the dogs can help the inmates and vice versa then it’s a win all around.”
Perez said that since December, RCDAS has been able to get 31 dogs out of the shelter and into the care of people incarcerated at the prison as part of the program. Of those, eight have already been adopted.
She said the goal was for the dogs to remain in foster care at the prison until they were adopted by the public, Ironwood staff or family members of the foster guardians, the people incarcerated at the facility who care for the dogs, which Perez said tended to be larger dogs who had been in the county’s shelters for a prolonged period of time.
“The idea is to adopt them out of the Ironwood facility, so that way they’re not coming back into the overcrowded shelters,” she said. “Which is why we’re really trying to show people that, because of the partnership, they’re learning new things that are going to make them great adoptable dogs, because they’ve had that human connection.”
In addition to allowing the dogs to get out of overcrowded shelters, it also gives them the opportunity to socialize, exercise and learn new skills like sleeping in a crate and walking on a leash while receiving focused care and attention from their guardians.
“It’s empowering that people trust us with these dogs,” T. Jones, a foster guardian, said in a news release about the program. “It’s helping the dog, but it’s helping us at the same time with a new responsibility. It’s teaching us patience, kindness and being in touch with our feelings.”
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Jones has helped three dogs prepare for their forever homes while incarcerated at Ironwood. He said fostering the dogs has helped him find purpose, and he hoped that the program continued to grow.
“This program is all about community and learning new ways people and pets can support each other,” Jaclyn Schart, RCDAS deputy director of programs and operations, said in a news release. “These dogs get to play, socialize and build connections with their caretakers who are also teaching them new skills, so when it’s time for adoption the dogs are better prepared to transition into their new environment.”
RCDAS said the health of the dogs was being monitored by a department veterinary team with prison officials overseeing the daily schedules for the dogs and their caretakers. The dogs, who come to the prison from across the department’s shelters, become available for adoption after 14 days in the program.
“Initiatives like this not only help dogs become more adoptable, but they also support rehabilitation by building responsibility, compassion, and purpose,” said Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez in a news release. “It’s a powerful example of what can happen when institutions come together to serve both people and animals.”
Ironwood State Prison Warden Chris Pierce said the program was a great morale booster for people who work at the prison and the people incarcerated there. He said the goal was to expand the program’s capacity to 80 dogs and 200 guardians in the future. All guardians are screened and selected by prison staff and share daily caretaking responsibilities for the dogs.
“We are looking forward to growing our partnership with Riverside County and providing them with, what I believe to be, the best dog program in the state,” said Pierce. “We are here to help the dogs, and it’s amazing to see the dogs creating a positive impact at Ironwood in such a short amount of time.”
He also said the prison was planning to increase its ability to support RCDAS by providing 100 temporary kennels for emergency response situations. Perez said this would provide the department with another avenue for quickly getting dogs out during wildfires or other natural disasters.
In 2024, RCDAS took in more than 35,000 animals, making it one of the largest sheltering systems in the nation. As of Friday, the department was at 233% capacity for dogs, a critical overflow.
More information about the Ironwood Dog Foster Program can be found here on the RCDAS website.
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