The following story is courtesy of Jonathan K., a former Pen Pals handler:
Jonathan entered into the prison system at 18 years old. He came from a broken, drug-infested and criminal home life early on. Jonathan never knew who his father was, and his mother was a heroin addict, prostitute and criminal for years before he was born. Jonathan lived from place to place — in cars and shelters, and was even passed around to multiple family members early on in his life. Jonathan’s mother would occasionally get caught in illegal activities and would spend some time in jail and/or drug rehab.
Jonathan grew up in an environment where he had little to no care, similar to a lot of the dogs that come through the Pen Pals program. Jonathan was left wandering the streets, stealing and selling food stamps to buy cigarettes and candy from the local stores in Petersburg, VA.
Jonathan’s mother died of a heroin overdose when he was just 14 years old. After that, Jonathan ended up being passed around from family member to family member until no one wanted him anymore. At that time, around 16 years old, Jonathan dropped out of school and started working on the streets. Selling drugs and stealing were just a few of the criminal activities Jonathan was involved in, which landed him in prison at the young age of 18.
Early on in Jonathan’s prison life; he stayed in trouble — fighting, gambling and getting involved in all sorts of activities that were against the VA DOC rules. Jonathan was a bottom-dweller immersed in a mindset of anger and resentment for most of his time. Until… he heard of a dog training program coming to JRCC and anyone could sign up; but only the model inmates would be selected.
Jonathan was accepted shortly after the program started. And it wasn’t long before he built an amazing relationship with the program’s dogs. He felt they had so many similarities in their lives, and as they bonded, that’s when a dramatic change truly started to take place — for himself and the dogs he worked with.
Jonathan looked at the success he was having training dogs for adoption, and from there, he started to look within. He realized that if he could make a change for unruly dogs, then why couldn’t he do this for himself? Jonathan was the primary trainer for the 1st few rounds of Pen Pals dogs that came in, but after the 1st successful year, he dropped back into a backup trainer role, because now Jonathan had to work on himself as well.
With only 2 years left until his release, and now being 24 years old, Jonathan knew he had to make a change for his future. Jonathan enrolled into the JRCC Computer Electronics class and continued his work with the Pen Pals program, helping new inmates adjust and teaching the patience and discipline it takes to train dogs.
Jonathan had a new love for life. A new purpose and passion. When Jonathan was released in 2004, times had changed significantly over the past 8 years. Getting a job was hard, adjusting to society was hard. Everyone judged him based on his past. Jonathan went and adopted an old dog from a local shelter. He worked with this dog and trained him, and this gave Jonathan a sense of peace, a sense of being wanted and loved while every door was slammed in his face when applying for jobs. “Give Love; Get Love” was Jonathan’s new motto in life. He would not give up or ever give in because he knew deep down, he was worth something. And if not to anybody else, he knew this dog needed him!
Jonathan finally, 3 years after being released, landed his 1st IT Helpdesk job with a company that decided to give him a chance at life. During that interview, Jonathan was very honest and spoke of the dog training program and how it helped him turn his life around. It taught him to love and be loved. It taught him patience and kindness and that something depended on him to be the best he can be!
As we now shuffle into 2018, what ever happened to Jonathan? How did he fair in the real world of bills, work, family and society?
Jonathan took that helpdesk opportunity and never looked back. Now Jonathan is the Global Director of Digital Technology Solutions for one of the biggest IT & Engineering companies in the world. Jonathan has been married now for 9 years and has 4 beautiful daughters and identical twin boys. He still works with dogs in his spare time and his family are huge dog lovers… and cats, and squirrels, and just about any animal you can think of!
Recent Pen Pals graduate, Silverbelle, is loving her new forever home and her mom, Daici, couldn’t be happier with her new four-legged bestie! Check out this sweet update from Daici below:
I just wanted to thank everyone for helping me to find Silverbelle. She is absolutely the perfect fit for me and I couldn’t be happier and I will go ahead and speak the same from her!! I’m just so happy everyone listened to my needs and guided me to her instead of another dog I was initially interested in. She has been such a well mannered dog and she was perfect from the start. I feel like she has been my pet for years and years. I have been keeping up with her training and I’m so grateful for the baseline that she has been given! Please thank her handlers again for me! I’m 33 and never really had pets before and I never realized how much I was missing out. Silverbelle brings such joy to my life.
I got to watch the CBS episode on the program…Such a proud mommy, my little celebrity! DVR recorded and saved the link on my phone. 🙂 Shared with all friends and family!!
Silverbelle is still trying to figure out the whole toy thing. I bought her pretty much everything they make and she wasn’t too interested, but turns out ok because she is also not interested in my shoes or anything else around the house. She loves real sticks so I will throw those for her and maybe one day she will bring them back to me. (I wont hold my breath waiting for that). She love her bones and kongs so I will stick with what works.
Silverbelle gets to go to the local dog park more days than not and she just loves other dogs. I’m so proud when I take her there because she does so well with all dogs big or small. My first day taking her I had the realization that I had the most beautiful dog there and the best behaved (but my friend (dog owner of many years) told me every one thinks their dog is the best) I have been sure to recommend your program to everyone who asks about her!
It took me a while to finally be able to go for a run with her, our first run was an absolute success! This was one of the things I was really hoping for and she is a great running partner!! She is just my perfect companion. Even her quirks are adorable to me.
My favorite thing is cuddling with her, she is sooooo lovable and we can sit around for hours and she is just happy to hang out. She lets me do what ever I want in trade for love 🙂 I brush her teeth, moisturize her paws, brush her, and she lets me clean her paws after a rainy walk and she waits so patiently without any push back picking on up at a time so cute!! She even tolerates booties and clothes!
She still has some uncertainties with some people and kids but were working on that and she is already improving. Again I couldn’t be happier with the choice of adding Silverbelle to my life!! Please thank everyone again who was a part of the process!!
Comments Off on Achilles: A Companion Through the Darkness
Our animal companions impact us in profound ways. Whether it’s because of the company they provide, their endearing personalities, their unconditional love or all of the above, our pets mean the world to us, just as we mean the world to them. Companions in Crisis
For Ashley Shoemaker, her animal companion came into her life under extremely difficult circumstances. After her brother, Corey, passed away unexpectedly, Ashley adopted his dog, Achilles. In the three years since, she has loved nine-year-old Achilles with every ounce of her being.
To Ashley, this loving pup is one of the last pieces she has of her brother.
“Achilles has been my rock and companion for some very hard moments of my life these past 3 years,” she writes. “He was there for me when I lost my brother, Corey, and helped me cope during one of the darkest times I’ve experienced.”
Achilles was also there for Ashley when she lost her golden retriever named Bristol to kidney cancer two years ago. He’s been there through other hardships and changes in her life, providing his companionship through every bit of it.
“He has also taught me what unconditional love is, and how to be happy again,” Ashley says.
Quality Over Quantity
On December 20th of 2017, Ashley was given more difficult news. Achilles was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma.
Although his life expectancy is less than six months, Ashley is hoping and praying that they will be the best that he’s ever had.
As a Companions in Crisis recipient, a portion of Achilles’ chemotherapy costs will be paid for as the compassionate professionals at The Oncology Service work to give him and Ashley more quality time together.
FETCH a Cure’s Companions in Crisis program strives to provide hope and the priceless gift of time to pets and their owners. Additional time with our best friends is something we can all treasure forever. It is our hope that Ashley and Achilles can spend this time continuing to love each other and make new, happy memories.
Of course, Ashley wishes Achilles could be there during every journey that life brings her through. But as Ashley’s friend told her, it isn’t about the quantity of time we get with our dogs, but the quality of time they get to enjoy with us. That is exactly what Ashley plans to give Achilles – quality time with those who love him most.
Comments Off on Getting in Front of It with Quen: How One Dog Changed Me for the Best
Excerpts from an essay by former Pen Pals coordinator, Sarah Hornberger:
After 10 years of working and volunteering with shelter pets, many cats, dogs, and even snakes
have significantly affected my life and contributed to who I have become as an animal advocate.
I have worked to bottle-feed orphaned kittens, socialize hoarded dogs, and ensure that owned
pets get affordable medical care in a low-income clinic. I have worked to find pets their forever
homes, convince too many veterinarians to do too many free surgeries, and fundraise for many
different animal welfare programs. Much to the chagrin of my ever-patient family and forever
pets, I have fostered countless cats and dogs, and they have all touched my heart. I have
mourned and rejoiced, I have cried, I have laughed. I have been outraged on behalf of my canine
and feline friends, I have worried, and I have been so, so thankful. I have also been bitten. A
lot. My heart has pounded out of my chest while chasing an escaped shelter dog down a busy
road during lunch hour while the community stopped to assist me, their support bringing tears to
my eyes.
However, no shelter or foster pet has more irrevocably affected me, both as an advocate for
animals and as a human being, than my best friend Quen. Quen (pronounced like Quinn) was
not especially the kind of dog I imagined myself with. He’s active and athletic. I’m lazy. He is
incredibly smart, whereas I have always extolled the virtues of a kind-of-dumb dog who can’t
figure out how to get into trouble. He has no understanding of the concept of personal space and
alone time, while I require both of these things to maintain my own equilibrium. And yet, here I
am, writing an essay about Quen, the one dog who I have tried to move my entire life around for,
and for whom I did rearrange my life for many months as he stayed in our guest room when he
had nowhere else to go. Quen is not necessarily my perfect match, but he’s the only canine
companion for me.
Quen is currently in prison. That’s not a funny term I use to describe an animal shelter, as
people frequently misunderstand. Quen is in a state correctional center for humans in Central
Virginia. He has been a resident of the Pixie’s Pen Pals program since 2014. Run by the
non-profit FETCH a Cure, Pen Pals is a program that takes dogs from local shelters and places
them in correctional centers where they are trained by inmates. This program focuses on
rehabilitation and education for inmates and for dogs who may need extra attention or may be
considered “less adoptable” simply because they are adults, seniors, hounds, or pit bulls. Quen
came into the shelter a young, rambunctious guy who loved to wrestle hard with his fellow
doggie inmate, Everett. He learned quickly and became an inmate handler and staff favorite; he
even caught the eye of the warden, who adores him.
[…]
Roadblocks for Quen
Quen, I have come to realize, is a culmination of all of the challenges in rescue advocacy that I
have encountered during my ten years in the field.
One of the best aspects of advocacy I learned from Quen it what I call “getting in front of it.”
This is a physical, mental, and emotional concept:
I will actually physically get in front of Quen when I see something that will scare him
while we are out and about. We do not avoid facing these situations, but face them
together in a safe way so that he can be exposed to his fears and work past them.
Everything about my body means something to him, and I can use it to let him know we
are both safe.
I plan, I adapt, and I am alert–this is the mental component. While Quen works on his
fears, I work to understand appropriate activities for him outside of the house. What are
his present abilities and what is the best way to help him keep improving? Can he walk
down the street with me to get a drink at the dog-friendly brewery? Can he do well at the
TV station so he can film a promotion segment? Can he go to a busy farmers’ market to
hopefully meet an adopter? The answer to all of these questions was yes! As long as I
am paying attention to what Quen is communicating to me about the environment, we
can do these new and sometimes scary things in a way that will improve his interactions
with the world. Quen, just like any dog, has a million tells and we as humans have the
power to make an experience a good or bad one for him.
Emotionality is tied into all of this. Quen bonds quickly with people, he bonds intensely,
and he is incredibly empathetic. When Quen most recently stayed in my house to go to
appointments and events, the best days he had were the days when we were doing
something new, and as I worked to stay ahead, I trusted him as much as he trusted me.
When this happens, his growth is exponential, and it showed every time he surprised me
by doing so well in situations that were previously overwhelming.
“Getting in front of it” in such a complete way is taxing at first, but now it is all just muscle
memory and mindfulness. This can be applied to every single dog I’ve met, and I see too often
that pet parents do not work to actually understand what their dogs are trying to say to them.
Advocacy for Quen works on three levels: At a practical, hands-on level, I work to keep him
safe and to make sure he is always learning and improving on a daily basis. This helps build to
the next level, which is advocating for his adoption to the best home possible. Pen Pals does this
by finding the best fit for both the adopter and the adoptee, empowering the adopter with the
tools they need to make the new adoption work, and providing follow-up care, including training
consultations, to ensure continued success in the home. Additionally, this level of advocacy also
has me showing everyone Quen’s instagram account (@quenstagrams), plastering his beautiful
Glamour Shots anywhere I can, and just generally spamming everyone I know with information
about Quen.
The third and final level of advocacy for Quen is advocating for his breed in general. Richmond
is a wonderful place to have a pittie, fortunately, but that wasn’t always the case. People like me
and many up-and-coming law students will use their JDs to ensure that breed discrimination is
one day a thing of the past, to demonstrate that dogs like Quen are individuals and not just their
stocky, muscular builds, and to put predatory dog fighters behind bars. For everyone working in
animal welfare, there has at least been one Quen in their lives, and the story hasn’t always ended
well, but as the field evolves, we can prevent more and more pets from becoming sad shelter
statistics through our advocacy efforts.
I will end this Quen-filled essay with more Quen advocacy. Quen is currently available for
adoption through FETCH a Cure’s Pixie’s Pen Pals. Quen is the best dog of all time. He is
about three years old, neutered, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped, knows his basic and
some more complicated commands, and is Canine Good Citizen ready. He LOVES playing
fetch with his ball launcher, chewing on Nylabones, going for hikes, and snuggling while
watching Jane Austen miniseries. Quen is incredibly house-trained and has done well in his
crate for 8-9 hour periods, but also does well when left out of the crate. Quen snores. Quen
doesn’t understand personal space and will drape his entire body all over you. Quen is very treat
and praise motivated, and loves learning new things. He’s also featured in the book 101 Pit
Bulls because he’s an incredibly photogenic local celebrity. He is beloved by veterinarians and
prison wardens. He has a range of vocalizations that sound like he’s desperately trying to speak
to you. Quen is very good about knowing and respecting the difference between his things and
your things. He’s great on-leash and even off in controlled environments, and has never tried to
jump the fence. Quen would appreciate if no one ever made him swim again, thank you very
much, but will accept his fate in the bathtub from time to time. Quen loves to play in the snow.
He will also indulge in his foster mom’s silliest costumes and outfits for the sake of his social
media presence. Quen comes with a lot of support from the people whose lives he’s touched,
and this includes support for his future adopter.
Quen is looking for a home with high-school aged children or older, and needs a home without
kitties or other small animals on the loose. Quen has, however, come face to face with turkeys
and smartly backed down–he’s also lived next to chickens without any issues. Quen likes dogs
on a case-by-case basis, and if you have a calmer, older dog who is Quen’s size or smaller and
likes to play, that would be a dream sibling for him. Bully lovers with some previous dog
ownership experience preferred, if only so you can appreciate exactly how he’s the most
handsome, smartest pit bull in the world. Quen may be a good candidate as a PTSD dog.
Contact Emily@fetchacure.com to set up a meeting with Quen and his inmate trainers.
(In the meantime, my guest room is always there for Quen whenever he needs it.)
It’s love at first site when it comes to Pudgie, the 12-year-old male pug. Everyone who meets him can agree that his sweet face will make any day seem a little brighter.
His parents, Erin and Daniel Mackay, dote on him like all pet parents should, and lovingly refer to him as Pudgie the Pugtato, or just Pudge. When you take one look at the three of them together, you can tell that Pudgie is adored.
The Story of Pudgie
Erin Mackay first got Pudgie when he was a baby and she had just graduated high school. In the years that followed, Pudge provided Erin with the support and drive she needed to overcome some of the most difficult times of her life thus far. Pudge was an anchor for her through painful personal battles and struggles with her health. And just as Pudge was always there for her, Erin made sure she was always there for him, even in the worst of times.
Shortly after meeting her husband Daniel, Erin told him, “Pudge comes first, always.” Daniel, who is now the Manager of Animal Care at the Richmond SPCA, replied, “Fair enough,” and the rest is history.
He recalls when he first met Pudge about ten years ago and how he immediately jumped into his arms to furiously kiss his face. That’s how Pudge is; he makes new friends with everyone, everywhere.
Since then, Erin and Daniel have been devoted pet parents to Pudge. They have celebrated him for being a source of comfort, laughter and so much more. He was at their wedding and has been a welcoming ambassador to all of the rescue fur babies and foster babies that have entered their home.
He has been there through it all. Pudge is the heart of their family.
Overcoming Canine Cancer
After showing signs of muscle atrophy and having difficulty eating and drinking, Pudgie was diagnosed with a tumor on one of his cranial nerves on August 3rd, 2017. Erin and Daniel were told that, without radiation, their Pudge only had 6-12 months to live. As you can imagine, they were devastated.
However, a referral to The Oncology Service in Richmond gave them a sense of hope. During their visit, they were given more information about FETCH a Cure’s Companions in Crisis program, which provides financial assistance to help families pay for life-saving treatments for pet cancer.
After completing their application and sharing their story, it became clear that they were a perfect fit for the program. Now, after three rounds of radiation treatment and several follow-up appointments, Pudgie the pug is cancer free!
At FETCH a Cure, it is our hope to defy the odds when it comes to feline and canine cancer and to give more families and pets quality time together. The Mackay’s story teaches us that we often need our pets as much as they need us. We hope to lengthen these unbreakable bonds for as many pet owners as possible. Please consider making a donation or joining us at one of our upcoming events to make a difference in a pet’s life today.
ld occasionally get caught in illegal activities and would spend some time in jail and/or drug rehab.
Our animal companions impact us in profound ways. Whether it’s because of the company they provide, their endearing personalities, their unconditional love or all of the above, our pets mean the world to us, just as we mean the world to them. 
