First Dog To Graduate From Inmate Program To Be Paired With Vet

The first dog to “graduate” from a new program that uses inmates in Camden County to train rescue dogs will be presented to Purple Heart recipient Arthur Wimberly, Jr. on Wednesday afternoon, county officials announced. The dog will be presented to Wimberly at the Camden County Correctional Facility at about 1 p.m. Wimberly served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

The Pennsauken Township man entered active military service on Jan. 29, 1968, and was released from active duty at the rank of Sergeant on Jan. 19, 1971. His last duty assignment was with Company “D” 23rd Engineer Bn. AD, USAREUR.

Earlier this month, county officials announced that Camden County inmates are training rescue dogs to to be matched with military veterans suffering from service-related conditions.

The county corrections department is working with One Love Animal Rescue, to train and care for companion dogs to be adopted by veterans. The veterans for the program are chosen by the Office of Veteran Affairs, and the service dogs become the veterans’ permanent pets.

“We know companion dogs can improve the quality of life for veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or depression. Creating a program that allows inmates to train these dogs for veterans will give them a chance to give back to the community in a meaningful way, but also to learn valuable skills as they prepare to re-enter society,” said State Sen. Jim Beach (D-6), who will be in attendance for Wednesday’s ceremony. “At the same time, this kind of program will help to increase the availability of dogs for veterans in our state who are seeking them as a means of coping with combat-related disorders.”

“The opportunity to have inmates participating and learning a new skillset that will ultimately benefit veterans is a home run for public policy, and it is critical that we continue to find more innovative ways to support both communities,” said Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, who serves as liaison to the Department of Corrections, who will also be on hand for the presentation. “This progressive idea will also assist us in finding forever homes for animals from our shelter population. The advantages gained by matching all of these disparate parts into a monolithic structure will be an improvement to the quality of life for our overall community.”

The pilot program is the first of its kind in the state, according to county officials.

Patch file photo (Wimberly not pictured)