Carroll Co. Jail inmates, puppies bond through program

CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — A new program in a local jail is helping some furry friends find love.

The Carroll County Jail has implemented the PADDLE program, or Prisoners and Dogs Developing Life Experience.

“They live with the girls in a common area, and also in their cells with them if they want, so they have them the entire 24/7,” said Kim Rezac, president and founder of Goofy Foot Dog Rescue.

Rezac says the program started in 2011, after the dog rescue realized they needed help feeding their “bottle babies,” which are orphaned dogs who need to be fed by bottle.

“We teach them basic vetting, grooming, things like that,” Rezac said.

Female inmates are chosen through a strict application process. They have welcomed PADDLE with open arms.

“The gratitude from them was what hit me the most. They just kept saying thank you for trusting us, thank you for letting us do this,” Rezac said.

“You get to save lives, you know, lives that you wouldn’t have thought of. You know, they wouldn’t have lived if we didn’t do this. They would have died because their momma wasn’t here, so I feel like we are doing something important,” said Missy Gouch, an inmate at the Carroll County Jail.

The constant attention is beneficial for the puppies and the inmates.

“They are used to having a lot of people, a lot of different situations around them, so they are typically very well socialized, and really great puppies,” Rezac said.

“Patience and, you know, stuff I can do on the outside, responsibility, taught me little life lessons,” Gouch said.

The dog rescue also helps pay for inmates who are in the process of getting their high school diploma or GED.