John made a bad decision. The 16-year-old boy bought some marijuana. From an undercover cop.  As a result, John is living at the Illinois Youth Center Chicago, a juvenile detention facility for the next six months.

John is not a hardened criminal.  And maybe if he hadn’t been caught this early in the game, he might still be on the streets, perhaps now stealing to buying larger quantities of marijuana; maybe even cocaine or crack.

But landing in IYC is perhaps the best thing that could have happened to John and the other 80-plus 12-17-year-olds just like him. They’re receiving the discipline, training, counseling, education and programs they’ll need to reinvent themselves once they’ve completed their stay.  One of those programs comes from Best Friends Safe Humane . 

“Lifetime Bonds” is one of five initiatives under Safe Humane Chicago, a city-wide coalition dedicated to ending violence against people and animals by promoting compassion and respect.  It also contributes to Best Friends national campaigns, “First Home, Forever Home” and “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog.”

This particular initiative targets youth who have been involved in illegal activities.  Each week, a group of dog handlers and their dogs visit the teens at IYC.  Callie Cozzolino and her pit bull Roo; Deborah Gadiel and her bloodhound Buddie; Emily Stoddard and her two basset hounds Toby and The Dude and Tracy Hamilton and Sammy, the shepherd mix, signed up to present this program under the direction of Best Friends Community Training Partner Janice Triptow and her Goldendoodle,  Jackpot.

The teams teach the young men the proper way to approach a dog, a few commands and a chance to socialize with the dog.  By receiving the immediate gratification of a happy wagging tail, friendly lick on the hand, or the roll-over request for a belly rub, these youngsters begin to realize --- sometimes for the first time in their lives --- that kindness begets kindness.  And that sets the stage for profound behavioral change.

Best Friends Safe Humane National Director Cynthia Bathurst believes that “Lifetime Bonds” is an integral component of the program in that it aims to stop violence in its tracks before it has a chance to grow further. 

“Safe Humane gives these young men knowledge and skills they can use to positive advantage for the dogs they and their friends or family members encounter in the streets, especially dogs viewed as ‘fighting dogs,’” explains Bathurst.  “They come to understand, often for the first time, that the dogs depend on them for safety and love and a lifetime of care.  And they get to experience, often for the first time, how good a positive companionship with a dog feels and how well dogs respond to it.” 

Changing Beliefs Is The First Step

The young men could hardly wait for the bell to ring, signaling it’s time for the “Lifetime Bonds” program, or, as they call it, “Dog-Play Time.”  The group breaks into five smaller groups led by Triptow and the other handlers.  They begin each session by demonstrating how to approach a friendly dog.  One by one, the boys take turns holding out the backs of their hands for the dogs to sniff, then gently petting the dogs on the side.  Most want seconds.

Then the boys hold treats in their hand while asking the dogs to sit and lie down.  Then they give the treats. And give and receive more love. After 20 minutes, the groups switch to new handlers and dogs.

“Each handler has their own system of training,” explains Triptow.  “So it’s important for the participants to understand that I may say ‘down’ to mean ‘lie down’ while another trainer might simply use a hand motion to give the same command.  It’s a way to encourage them to think about how they want to develop communication with their own companion animals.”

All the participants are anxious to spend time with Rou, the pit bull.  One boy commented on how Rou resembled his American Staffordshire terrier. It was surprising to hear him refer to his dog with the official breed title.

“That’s because we’ve seen all these different guys fight and we know who the best ones are,” he says.

And this offers the perfect segue to talk about dogfighting. 

“Do you think the dogs like fighting?” asks Triptow.

Most of the boys nod.

“Do you think the dogs like being stroked?”

All the boys nod.

“Do you like the feeling of being hurt when someone hits you?”

All the boys shake their head.

“Do you think dogs like the feeling of being hurt, like when another dog bites them?”

Tentative shakes all around.

“So think about it --- if you don’t like getting hurt and the dog doesn’t like getting hurt, do you really think the dogs like going into a situation like fighting where they most certainly will get hurt?”

Definite head shakes all around.

The residents at IYC Chicago have only participated in the Lifetime Bonds program for two months but already, changes in thought, attitude and behavior are evident. Nikki Robinson, Assistant Superintendent/Programs IYC Chicago, observes the boys not only look forward to the sessions because they’re enjoyable; they really “get” why the program is important. She notes, “While these youths have much to learn, the Safe Humane Chicago Lifetime Bonds program provides an insight and approach to teaching these young men the value of life in animals and how important the dogs they work with are to their people.”

 
How You Can Help

Best Friends Safe Humane relies on donations and in-kind services from local businesses and individuals.  If you’d like to make a donation to the Safe Humane Lifetime Bonds program, send a check payable to:

Safe Humane
P.O. Box 7342
Chicago, IL 60680-7342

If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities with Safe Humane, call 312-409-4790.

Photos by Amy Abern.