Pooches set to take over Mary S. Young Park
Vern Uyetake / West Linn Tidings
Patti Galle spends time at her West Linn home with her dog Lady. Galle organized Pooch in the Park, an event set for Saturday at Mary S. Young Park.
Mary S. Young Park is going to the dogs.
Literally.
The first of what organizer Patti Galle hopes to become the annual Pooch in the Park will be held at the West Linn park on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The event is sort of an ode to dogs – doggy games, races, contests, treats and prizes.
“So much is going on,” said Galle, a West Linn resident.
The park will transform into a bit of a canine circus with dog psychics, grooming, police dog demonstrations, biscuit tosses, agility courses, pooch parade, dog story teller and veterinarians to answer questions.
“And my personal favorite – a puppy kissing booth,” Galle said.
Everyone and their dog is welcome. All proceeds from the day will benefit Project POOCH, a non-profit matching program in which homeless dogs are trained by incarcerated youths at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn.
Susie Waki – volunteer coordinator for Project POOCH out of the Lake Oswego Community Outreach office – said that it should be an eventful day for dogs, their owners and all those involved with the program. Several dogs trained by youths at MacLaren – and now in what organizers call forever homes – will participate in a pooch parade around noon, Galle said.
“The dogs need the youth for training, love, guidance, praise, structure, food, water, grooming, etc,” Galle said. “The youth – after establishing this relationship with the dogs – begin to experience many of the traits they must have to cope with being a good citizen.”
Youths and dogs
learning from each other
Youths ranging from their early teens to 25 years old are housed at MacLaren, where they receive intensive substance abuse treatment, violent offender treatment, sex offender behavioral modification treatment or vocational training, according to the facility’s Web site.
“This is prison,” Waki said of the 460-bed facility. “They have no choice but to be here.”
Started in 1993 by Lake Oswego resident Joan Dalton, Project POOCH began with one dog and one youth – Dalton’s idea when she was a principal at MacLaren. Project POOCH allows MacLaren youths to train shelter dogs – teaching them responsibility and compassion.
The dogs utilized in Project POOCH are “eleventh hour shelter dogs,” as Waki said. They are the dogs that would otherwise be euthenized if not put into the program. They are basically unwanted.
Youths to train the dogs are chosen through a process similar to a job interview; there is an application and a panel interview with each candidate. Ten to 12 dogs and youths are usually participating at any given time.
“The youth take great pride in training the dogs. I think that it means a lot to them to know that they’re saving a dogs life,” Waki said. “The youth learn how to manage the dog’s behavior in a non-threatening, non-violent way. No physical punishment is used, (just) positive reinforcement.”
Working as a team
Waki said that through their training process those in the program learn how to problem solve, work as a team and learn from each other. They also work with a professional dog trainer.
“We’ve always had an outside trainer to help with the (youths). Now, one of the youths is the lead trainer,” Waki said.
Project POOCH prepares the dogs for permanent homes after they leave MacLaren.
“The success for the dogs is an opportunity to first live and secondly to overcome any behavior problems that they may have,” Galle said. “The youth bond with these animals and in learning the skill of training them, develop such emotions as compassion, love, commitment, endurance and discipline. Many have never had that in their lives.”
To be adopted into permanent homes, dogs must pas the Canine Good Citizen Test – a series of 10 steps proving that the dogs have good manners at home and in the community.
The youths train the dogs for a few months to prepare for this test.
“(The dogs) have to be able to walk in a loose lead – not pull on the leash – sit and stay in place, come when called and sit politely when someone is petting them,” Waki said.
At the end of this test, dogs are paired with permanent families after several visits.
“If you had a child you wouldn’t just let them stay at someone’s home without first going over there,” Waki said. “We want to make sure (the dogs) have a safe place to sleep.”
A fresh start
Waki said that out of 100 youths who have completed the Project POOCH program, not one returned to correction.
“These people are changing their lives,” Waki said.
Just as those at MacLaren are seeing positive results from the program, those in the community have a lot to do with the program’s success. Project POOCH couldn’t operate without donations and grants from individuals and foundations, Waki said.
“It is extremely important that our community and surrounding communities know and support Project POOCH as we, as citizens of these communities are directly affected by what Project POOCH does,” Galle said. “These kids aren’t out stealing from our homes, taking our cars, perhaps being violent against us. Everyone benefits from this program.”
Galle chose Mary S. Young Park for the first Pooch in the Park event because she said West Linn has “the best dog owners in the state.”
Waki said she hopes Saturday’s event raises awareness and funds for the program, which is gaining in popularity around the world. Dalton traveled to Korea to help start a similar program there, Waki said. Visitors from Japan and England have visited Project POOCH to get ideas also.
So, what is it about dogs that allows the world to refer to them as “man’s best friend?”
“They provide love, affection, admiration, loyalty and commitment to us. They give us a reason to be active – walking, running, socializing with them. They give us an opportunity to express ourselves unashamed and unjudged,” Galle said. “We can be who we are with our pets and they still respond with love and loyalty. Wow. How much better does it get than that?”