Visions
Dr Garry Kidd, Deputy Director, Centre for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (UQ)
A Connect feature on the views of people within the disability sector
- Name:
- Dr Garry Kidd
- Position
- Deputy Director, Centre for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (UQ)
What is the Pups in Prisons project?
The project brings together Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) and Assistance Dogs Australia in the training of assistance dogs and companion animals by offenders at a low-security prison in south-east Queensland.
When the program started in February 2007 the Centre for Companion Animal Health at UQ wanted to get involved to measure the benefits to offenders of training dogs as there was no such research being done in Australia.
The project currently involves four puppies - two black labradors and two golden retrievers. Each dog has two carers, one primary and one secondary. The dogs spend 16 months at the correctional centre and a further six months in final training with Assistance Dogs Australia. Those pups that come through with the highest marks become assistance dogs for people with a disability and the others become companion animals, also mainly for people with a disability.
What is your involvement with the project?
Initially I was approached as Manager of QCS Psychological and Counselling Services to identify two senior psychologists interested in enrolling in higher degrees at UQ and undertaking this ground-breaking research. I am now on the supervision team for those researchers.
What are your hopes for the project?
I want to extend the research to look at the benefits of companion animals on people with a disability, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder - and that extends to the carers - but we need the funding to make that happen. Conservatively such a program would take around three years.
Tell us about the trainers?
The trainers are lifers. They have committed serious offences early on and have been incarcerated for quite a number of years with a pattern of demonstrating good behaviour, which is why they are now in a low-security establishment.
They were tested before having access to an animal for their criminal thinking style and issues related to wellbeing and socialisation, such as parenting. We have pre-test measures and post-test measures, and assessments at three-month intervals throughout so we're able to get a good hold on changes related to diminishing the likelihood of violent behaviour.
What benefits exist for the community through this project?
Companion animals provide unconditional love, support, reliability, and, most importantly for people with a disability, they allow effective, alternative communication channels. They make a great cure for loneliness. For people with a disability, assistance dogs help with day-to-day tasks such as picking things up off the floor and opening doors.
The program provides wonderful benefits for the offenders where there is currently only anecdotal evidence to suggest that training the pups will help with breaking the pattern of criminal behaviour. If those benefits really are there then they are considerable, making the community safer. Our research is intended to validate those benefits.
As for the dogs, they are valued and really well looked after - they have a beautiful life - so it's a win/win situation for everyone.
Last updated November 2007