From Prison Cell To Vet Tech: Training Rescue Dogs Changes Life For Joe Denti
Joe Denti spent nearly two decades behind bars, but he's using his life to make a difference, caring for animals. Of the standout participants in Missouri's Puppies for Parole program, Joe spent nearly 15 years learning and sharing compassion while healing alongside rescue dogs in need of care and training. Now that he's out, he'll continue to use his skills on the outside helping local pets and families by becoming a certified veterinary technician.
Denti has been tied with Puppies for Parole since 2010. This program was established during then to train the very vital skills necessary before one could be adopted with the help of inmates and dogs sheltered from the Missouri Department of Corrections. Denti loved animals; however, it is quite steep with a lot of hurdles, and that makes its effective training and rehabilitation much tougher. "When we launched, we didn't have much knowledge about training-at least, how to care for dogs that had hard times. An easy pet is one thing; such dogs needed patience," says Denti. Continuous Royal Canin USA support facilitated the program in finding core training resources that would facilitate Denti and others' gradual development of a clear process. They utilized the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen: basic skills for well-behaved dogs and responsible owners.
To date, Puppies for Parole has taken in over 7,000. Denti states that it is a significant number, but he looks at it from one dog at a time. "Every dog we helped taught us something. Working with them reminded us of our own broken parts and the harm we'd caused others," he says. He adds, "These animals helped me develop empathy, and they often mirrored the healing journey many of us needed." Denti pursued his goal of helping animals and their families after his release.
He is working at a veterinary clinic, where he is pursuing studies for registration as a veterinary technician. Royal Canin USA supports him with his studies. This path keeps him busy and hands on with animals in need as he continues to serve those in need. In fact, he adopted Cookie-one of the rehabilitated dogs in the program and has kept him with him through his transition out of prison and into life beyond the bars. "She's helped me a lot," he says, drawing underlining lines around unfaltering support that the presence of Cookie brings about in him as he readies to enter into the new chapter.
