my story may not be unique or special however I like to share a little bit
however I like to share a little bit
however I like to share a little bit about something that’s special to me I
about something that’s special to me I
about something that’s special to me I was incarcerated for 20 years and every
was incarcerated for 20 years and every
was incarcerated for 20 years and every time I would go up for parole I had high
time I would go up for parole I had high
time I would go up for parole I had high hopes that this would be my chance 11
hopes that this would be my chance 11
hopes that this would be my chance 11 times I was turned down and it’s easy to
times I was turned down and it’s easy to
times I was turned down and it’s easy to start to feel hopeless
start to feel hopeless
start to feel hopeless and terribly alone in a world so closed
and terribly alone in a world so closed
and terribly alone in a world so closed up filled with hatred and anger it’s
up filled with hatred and anger it’s
up filled with hatred and anger it’s hard to get a second chance in a prison
hard to get a second chance in a prison
hard to get a second chance in a prison to prove that you’re a good person that
to prove that you’re a good person that
to prove that you’re a good person that you can handle responsibility and take
you can handle responsibility and take
you can handle responsibility and take on challenges not everyone can can deal
on challenges not everyone can can deal
on challenges not everyone can can deal with I was able to have that chance and
with I was able to have that chance and
with I was able to have that chance and participated in the pixies penpals dog
participated in the pixies penpals dog
participated in the pixies penpals dog training program for over seven years
training program for over seven years
training program for over seven years earning certification to the Virginia
earning certification to the Virginia
earning certification to the Virginia apprenticeship Council I participated in
apprenticeship Council I participated in
apprenticeship Council I participated in the program at two different facilities
the program at two different facilities
the program at two different facilities working my way up to primary handler as
working my way up to primary handler as
working my way up to primary handler as well as teacher’s aide and adoption
well as teacher’s aide and adoption
well as teacher’s aide and adoption liaison all handlers are required to do
liaison all handlers are required to do
liaison all handlers are required to do all the course work to achieve primary
all the course work to achieve primary
all the course work to achieve primary status primary handler status and a few
status primary handler status and a few
status primary handler status and a few show leadership qualities that made them
show leadership qualities that made them
show leadership qualities that made them good candidates for a teacher’s aide
good candidates for a teacher’s aide
good candidates for a teacher’s aide however there’s just one that’s chosen
however there’s just one that’s chosen
however there’s just one that’s chosen to be the adoption liaison who attends
to be the adoption liaison who attends
to be the adoption liaison who attends all the adoptions explaining all the
all the adoptions explaining all the
all the adoptions explaining all the important information about the program
important information about the program
important information about the program and the dog to be adopted I was content
and the dog to be adopted I was content
and the dog to be adopted I was content to just be primary handler
to just be primary handler
to just be primary handler and help teach new handlers as they came
and help teach new handlers as they came
and help teach new handlers as they came into the program however the lead
into the program however the lead
into the program however the lead trainer Katie locks saw differently and
trainer Katie locks saw differently and
trainer Katie locks saw differently and with some encouragement and persuasion
with some encouragement and persuasion
with some encouragement and persuasion asked me to be a teacher’s aide as well
asked me to be a teacher’s aide as well
asked me to be a teacher’s aide as well as adoption liaison I did my best
as adoption liaison I did my best
as adoption liaison I did my best throughout the program and hope I did a
throughout the program and hope I did a
throughout the program and hope I did a good job I worked with and trained over
good job I worked with and trained over
good job I worked with and trained over 40 dogs and learned more and more with
40 dogs and learned more and more with
40 dogs and learned more and more with each one some taught me to trust some
each one some taught me to trust some
each one some taught me to trust some taught me compassion some taught me just
taught me compassion some taught me just
taught me compassion some taught me just how to have fun and sometimes me
how to have fun and sometimes me
how to have fun and sometimes me patience however they all taught me that
patience however they all taught me that
patience however they all taught me that there’s more to life than just taking
there’s more to life than just taking
there’s more to life than just taking care of myself and that I’m worthy of
care of myself and that I’m worthy of
care of myself and that I’m worthy of love giving and receiving there have
love giving and receiving there have
love giving and receiving there have been a lot of standouts throughout the
been a lot of standouts throughout the
been a lot of standouts throughout the years and I’ll highlight just a few
years and I’ll highlight just a few
years and I’ll highlight just a few because they stand out just a little bit
because they stand out just a little bit
because they stand out just a little bit more than others this girl here is VDOT
more than others this girl here is VDOT
more than others this girl here is VDOT she was found on the side of the road by
she was found on the side of the road by
she was found on the side of the road by a vdot worker they thought she was dead
a vdot worker they thought she was dead
a vdot worker they thought she was dead look at her now she’s dead she’s having
look at her now she’s dead she’s having
look at her now she’s dead she’s having a wonderful life being taken care of
a wonderful life being taken care of
a wonderful life being taken care of it’s quite the couch potato as well most
it’s quite the couch potato as well most
it’s quite the couch potato as well most memorable dog I’ve ever worked with is
memorable dog I’ve ever worked with is
memorable dog I’ve ever worked with is this boy right here named woody
this boy right here named woody
this boy right here named woody he was the Hound Nix it came to the
he was the Hound Nix it came to the
he was the Hound Nix it came to the program very fearful closed down and
program very fearful closed down and
program very fearful closed down and untrusting of humans completely there’s
untrusting of humans completely there’s
untrusting of humans completely there’s the first dog I ever worked with that
the first dog I ever worked with that
the first dog I ever worked with that was as fearful as he is as he was pretty
was as fearful as he is as he was pretty
was as fearful as he is as he was pretty much semi-feral it took me about two
much semi-feral it took me about two
much semi-feral it took me about two months to be able to build up enough
months to be able to build up enough
months to be able to build up enough trust for him to allow me to touch him
trust for him to allow me to touch him
trust for him to allow me to touch him or pet him it was difficult to have that
or pet him it was difficult to have that
or pet him it was difficult to have that kind of responsibility and I had a lot
kind of responsibility and I had a lot
kind of responsibility and I had a lot of questions that I couldn’t answer such
of questions that I couldn’t answer such
of questions that I couldn’t answer such as how was I gonna help him change how
as how was I gonna help him change how
as how was I gonna help him change how he viewed humans how was I gonna help
he viewed humans how was I gonna help
he viewed humans how was I gonna help him have a better life I didn’t have the
him have a better life I didn’t have the
him have a better life I didn’t have the answers to those questions so I took it
answers to those questions so I took it
answers to those questions so I took it one day at a time I recently had the
one day at a time I recently had the
one day at a time I recently had the privilege of checking in on him and he’s
privilege of checking in on him and he’s
privilege of checking in on him and he’s doing awesome loving life this girl here
doing awesome loving life this girl here
doing awesome loving life this girl here Ellie came in the program a baby
Ellie came in the program a baby
Ellie came in the program a baby pretty much furless from mange and
pretty much furless from mange and
pretty much furless from mange and fearful it’s quite the trend I worked
fearful it’s quite the trend I worked
fearful it’s quite the trend I worked with a lot of fearful dogs over the
with a lot of fearful dogs over the
with a lot of fearful dogs over the years it’s quite the combination as well
years it’s quite the combination as well
years it’s quite the combination as well being afraid and not having hair and
being afraid and not having hair and
being afraid and not having hair and broke my heart thinking of how she must
broke my heart thinking of how she must
broke my heart thinking of how she must have felt she needed patience but more
have felt she needed patience but more
have felt she needed patience but more than that she needed love
than that she needed love
than that she needed love unconditionally so I took a deep breath
unconditionally so I took a deep breath
unconditionally so I took a deep breath and count to a million as I had nothing
and count to a million as I had nothing
and count to a million as I had nothing but time on my hands and said Rob you’ve
but time on my hands and said Rob you’ve
but time on my hands and said Rob you’ve got this she needs you she turned out to
got this she needs you she turned out to
got this she needs you she turned out to be pretty beautiful dog and she learned
be pretty beautiful dog and she learned
be pretty beautiful dog and she learned how to trust and love and how to enjoy
how to trust and love and how to enjoy
how to trust and love and how to enjoy life
one dog stands out a little bit more
one dog stands out a little bit more than the rest and that’s this boy here
than the rest and that’s this boy here
than the rest and that’s this boy here woody I mean uh Domino sorry he came
woody I mean uh Domino sorry he came
woody I mean uh Domino sorry he came into the program with his brother lucky
into the program with his brother lucky
into the program with his brother lucky when the program they were in closed
when the program they were in closed
when the program they were in closed down and we had some openings at the
down and we had some openings at the
down and we had some openings at the facility I was at so they came in they
facility I was at so they came in they
facility I was at so they came in they were babies when they came in and had a
were babies when they came in and had a
were babies when they came in and had a pretty good foundation from the previous
pretty good foundation from the previous
pretty good foundation from the previous handlers thought it’d be a grand finale
handlers thought it’d be a grand finale
handlers thought it’d be a grand finale to my time in the program to be able to
to my time in the program to be able to
to my time in the program to be able to adopt a dog that I’d worked with however
adopt a dog that I’d worked with however
adopt a dog that I’d worked with however that’s not always the case we don’t get
that’s not always the case we don’t get
that’s not always the case we don’t get to choose the dogs that come in and our
to choose the dogs that come in and our
to choose the dogs that come in and our families have to go through the same
families have to go through the same
families have to go through the same process to adopt as anyone else my
process to adopt as anyone else my
process to adopt as anyone else my family was actually able to apply was
family was actually able to apply was
family was actually able to apply was approved and he went home now all I had
approved and he went home now all I had
approved and he went home now all I had to do was wait until December of 2014 to
to do was wait until December of 2014 to
to do was wait until December of 2014 to be able to be home with my family and my
be able to be home with my family and my
be able to be home with my family and my new dog so the program has taught me a
new dog so the program has taught me a
new dog so the program has taught me a lot over the years and changed my life
lot over the years and changed my life
lot over the years and changed my life in some ways that are subtle and some
in some ways that are subtle and some
in some ways that are subtle and some that are pretty obvious it’s taught me
that are pretty obvious it’s taught me
that are pretty obvious it’s taught me that my crime does not define me that I
that my crime does not define me that I
that my crime does not define me that I am smarter and more capable than I give
am smarter and more capable than I give
am smarter and more capable than I give myself credit for and that there are
myself credit for and that there are
myself credit for and that there are people that really do believe in me I am
people that really do believe in me I am
people that really do believe in me I am beyond words can’t express how thankful
beyond words can’t express how thankful
beyond words can’t express how thankful I am and it is amazing how incredible
I am and it is amazing how incredible
I am and it is amazing how incredible people like Cady have influenced my life
people like Cady have influenced my life
people like Cady have influenced my life and changed things for the better here
and changed things for the better here
and changed things for the better here are a few slides of other dogs that have
are a few slides of other dogs that have
are a few slides of other dogs that have been through the program or maybe not I
been through the program or maybe not I
been through the program or maybe not I guess not
guess not
guess not however although I was supposed to be
however although I was supposed to be
however although I was supposed to be released in December of 2014
released in December of 2014
released in December of 2014 I actually made parole in October of
I actually made parole in October of
I actually made parole in October of 2014 about two months before I was going
2014 about two months before I was going
2014 about two months before I was going home
home
home thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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