He goes to prison:

The rescuers that stepped up were located in San Antonio and called Diamond Dachshund Rescue of Texas.  Boy, they got a lot more than they bargained for.  He was a wild child.   He had fits with high pitched barking, raging, spinning endlessly, they were out of their element with him.  In the past, they had placed a couple of deaf/blind dachshunds with a group of trainers that had good results.  The group was the original Paws in Prison, Lockhart, Texas. The program coordinator was a very humble, brave lady named Machelle Gaconnet .  Hepzipah Hoffman-Rogers from Thunderpaws came to Lockhart from Sequin, once a week to train, and help the inmates with any problems they had through the week.  Thunderpaws is completely volunteer.  The inmates had to apply for the honor of working with these dogs, and Machelle. She found a place for this little rebel, that had a cause, and they named him Drake Diamond. The Diamond was in honor of the group of rescuers who had said "yes" to the SPCA.

Machelle was really the one that saved this handsome, but bad little boy.  She was a lady with determination and her only dream was to save the life's of dogs, one at a time.  A dog lover, she sat on her couch one night watching Animal Planet.  I was watching it the same night, anxious to see a new show called "Cell Dogs".  It put the act of saving dogs lives into the hands of criminals.  What?  Yet, we all were sitting on our couches to see this show.  Machelle had worked for a private prison company with a state prison in Lockhart, Texas.  She had been there for almost ten years, working in an administrative position.  This show lit a fire under her, that can only be described as a blazer.   She talked to her boss, who talked to his boss, so on and so on.  Six months later she had six dogs and several inmates assigned to the program.

Where to start?  She contacted and visited an established program in Oklahoma called "Friends for Folks".  It is a great program already established at a state prison in Lexington, Oklahoma.  They allowed her to visit several times.  She states that "Friends for Folks" is the standard that she wants to bring to her program.  Even though she feels there is still so far to go, from my living room couch where I am still sitting, she has come a long way baby.  Since it began in 2007, the program is responsible for getting over two hundred dogs adopted.  They are trained in all basic commands, plus fun tricks.  Many of them received the Canine Good Citizen certificate before they are adopted.  She makes sure they are medically sound, utd on all shots and most importantly neutered/spayed.  She has also developed, with help from her trainer and the inmates, a way to communicate with a deaf/blind dog.  Drake is the third such dog to be trained by this program and I am sure not the last.  Machelle never backs down from any dog, no matter what the obstacles are.

Machelle still gets a salary from the prison, but the program cannot thrive or survive without donations.  Not money, although it can be deposited at her vet for health needs, but the kind of thing we can all give.  Old rugs, crates, new toys, food.  Anything that she can use in her program.  She is always happy for your time too.  If you have an expertise in computers, marketing, grooming or raising money to purchase the kinds of things she needs.  She can probably put you to work.  If you are local you may be able to run a errand for her occasionally.  Pick up a dog from or to vet, from or to groomer, pick up donations when can't be dropped off. 

If you would like more information of the program or what you can do, please contact me.  I am a volunteer for the program and will be happy to give you any information you might want.

My Journey Begins:

The two inmates, Shelly and Cristi, that had been his 24/7 companions and teachers, had written a short history of their time with him from the beginning until the day that I walked out of the prison with him on his little blue leash.   That is all I had to begin this story.