We've all had one of those moments where, no matter how much we love them, we've wanted to take our precious little bundle of furry joy, lock them up in a massive cage, and throw away the key. It happens to everybody: one second you're playing with your puppy, having the greatest of times and all is right with the world, then you turn your back on him for one second and he's proceeded to demolish the one thing you had in the room that was both expensive and irreplaceable.
Cats aren't much better. I've personally lost track of how many pieces of furniture I've had demolished by means of razor-sharp claws, and of course even if you make it clear that they're doing something they shouldn't be doing, they'll just wait for you to leave the room before going right back to doing it.
This all comes before the pain in the ass that is keeping your furball groomed, which can be an entire ordeal in and of itself. Have you ever wished that maybe there was a place you could send your pet to not only learn how to stop being a bad dog, but also for them to get the shearing and fur cuts that they so desperately need?
Well, you're in luck! It turns out there is such a place for your pooches and kitties: it's called prison. No, seriously.
The Washington Corrections Center For Women recently began a new project called the Prison Pet Partnership, and it's a way for their convicts to give back to their community by looking after our favorite little furry creatures. The program currently employs 18 inmates from the prison, and the results are surprisingly wholesome.
The facility offers boarding, grooming, and training for dogs and cats. Best of all, the money raised pays not only the salaries for the offenders and the staff of the non-profit, but also funding efforts to rehabilitate rescued animals and train support dogs.
"It's a unique and different setting, but it really works for the animals," said groomer and trainer Teresa Gaethe-Leonard, who is serving a 30-year sentence for murder.
Angela Ferguson, another convicted murderer, says that the dog who stays in her cell with her and she looks after "helps me get up every day."
She makes $1.41 an hour caring for dogs. She hopes to make more money doing the same work when she finishes serving her 25-year sentence, and while some have expressed concern over letting convicts do this kind of work, Ferguson has stated "Would you rather me not get any help and come into the community, and be your neighbor?"
What do you think? Would you let your pets be groomed by convicts?