Two lucky dogs will be staying at the Bladen Correctional Center for seven weeks.

The dogs haven't committed a crime. Skippy and Sheba are learning basic obedience and socialization skills and helping inmates at the same time.

The New Leash On Life program links qualified inmates with dogs from animal shelters and rescue agencies. The inmates attend classes on dog training, and are with their dogs from dawn until dusk every day.

Bladen Correctional Center became the latest state prison to participate in the program. Officials held a kickoff ceremony Tuesday in the prison chapel.

"This is a great opportunity for us and the inmates, as well as the dogs," said Superintendent Flint Benson, who owns a Bassett hound from a rescue agency. "The inmates learn a new skill, and at the end of seven weeks, the adoption agency has a pet that is much more adoptable than before."

The New Leash On Life Program is supported entirely through donations at the Bladen facility.

"I'm proud to say community response has been such that not a dime of tax money has been used for this," Benson said Tuesday.

The program started in facilities in the western part of the state, and has been gradually moving east. Representatives from the Craven Correctional Center were on hand Tuesday to learn more about the program.

About 35 people attended the ceremony Tuesday, which included remarks by representatives of the state prison system and the Friends of Columbus County Animal Shelter and the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society.

Faye Lassiter, Asst. Chief of Program Services for the Dept. of Corrections, called the program "cutting edge."

"This de-stresses the prison environment," she said. "The dogs help the inmates to relax, and the inmates help the dogs learn about socialization as well."

"When you're in a humane environment, Lassiter said, "positive things start to happen."

Inmates are chosen for the program based on behavior behind bars, willingness to participate, and remaining time on their sentence. People with sex crime convictions or animal cruelty charges may not participate.

They are paid $1 per day, and must attend classes, groom their charges, and learn about basic commands, housetraining and other basic pet-care skills.

Each dog has a primary handler and an assistant handler.

Begee Caviness of the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society said she hopes the program draws attention to the need to spay and neuter animals.

"You can't just let them run around loose anymore," she said. "Thousands of unwanted animals die every month. When we started our group, we concentrated on saving their lives-now we've learned, the hard way, to concentrate on education. This program will help us do that, by spotlighting one or two dogs who will be ready for adoption and socialization as soon as they walk out the door."

A Fayetteville Police Department Canine Officer will help train the inmates and the dogs, Benson said. All services, food, and even shelter for the two dogs have been donated, he said, and other groups have contacted the prison to offer assistance.

After Tuesday's ceremony, Sheba and Skippy were brought out to meet those attending the meeting.

Joey Oldham is Skippy's trainer. An older hound-mix, Sheba usually has a lot of personality, Oldham said. Tuesday she didn't want to go too far from either Oldham or her assistant handler, Steven Brown.

"She's really a sweet dog," he said. "They told me she was abandoned, and that's how she ended up here."

Skippy, a shepherd-mix, rolled over to greet well-wishers after the ceremony. Sheba leaned close against her handler.

"I love dogs," said Brown, "and I enjoy working with them."

Dogs stay in the program for seven to eight weeks before being returned to the rescue agencies.

The animals are brought from Columbus and Cumberland because Bladen County does not have a private animal rescue agency. The program does not generally use animals taken directly from county animal shelters since the pets must be returned to their home agency for adoption.

For more information on the New Leash on Life program, call 862-3107.

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