Rescued dog “Roxy” holding hand with inmate / trainer. Tuesday April 19, 2016.
A homeless pit bull facing an uncertain future found a second chance in the most unlikely of places — within the walls of Rikers Island.
A group of teen inmates lived with the pooch — named Roxy — for nine weeks and worked to help her shed her wild ways.
“She was kind of nippy,” one of the inmates told the News during a recent visit to the Robert N. Davoren Complex. “I would spray apple vinegar on my hand. That stopped it.”
The teenagers’ aptitude for the nuances of dog training thrilled the volunteers who work with them and the staff they see every day at the complex.
The inmates — all 16 or 17 — are awaiting trial for a range of offenses.
Through the special program with the nonprofit Rescue Dogs Rescue Soldiers, they are responsible for feeding, walking, grooming and socializing pooches deemed unadoptable by shelters. If not adoptable, some dogs may be euthanized.
“This is giving them the opportunity to focus on something positive,” said Winette Saunders Jackson, deputy commissioner of Youthful Offender and Young Adult Programming at the city’s Department of Correction.
“I see personal growth,” said Jackson. “I see how they are a little more empowered and they can do something different.”
The Daily News was allowed to attend an emotional Rikers Rovers graduation ceremony last week, where the young inmates received certificates. Several family members attended and celebrated with a pizza dinner.
Since the program started in 2014, eight dogs from animal shelters have been trained and rehabilitated by inmates. They have gone to loving homes, including Hawkins, who is now a companion dog for a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder.
“In my experience, the boys and the stray dogs have a great ability to bond,” said Liz Keller, a volunteer for Rescue Dogs Rescue Soldiers.
“They are alone. They are scared. They miss their family and they need love,” Keller said.
One young inmate smiled as he remembered the first time he had to get up at 5 a.m. to walk Roxy.
“It was a learning experience,” he said. “I never thought I would be able to train a dog.”
Keller said she hopes to continue the program but donations are scarce. The group does not receive any city funding for its work.
Roxy also captured the heart of Correction Officer Gregory Jean-Louis, who adopted her. Several of the inmates implored him to bring her by for visits.
“I used to have a lot of anger and she helped calm me down,” one young inmate told The News. “You feel a lot of love. It feels good to help a dog get a new start.”