Parenting, Prison & Pups

Puppies on the Block is stepping up its game with formal training sessions for our handlers and fosters, as well as soon-to-be grooming sessions. Stay Tuned!
Pace UniversityDyson College of Arts and SciencesPaws Crossed Animal RescueKimberly Collica-CoxWestchester County Government

School may be out but Anna is still working! Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Kimberly Collica-Cox

We are looking for therapy teams!!

TRANSFORM LIVES: Join the "Parenting, Prison & Pups" Therapy Team! 🐾

A FABULOUS, HIGH-IMPACT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Are you and your certified therapy dog ready to step into a space where the smallest gesture creates the biggest change? The nationally-recognized Parenting, Prison & Pups (PPP) Program at the Westchester County Department of Correction is seeking dedicated, compassionate Therapy Team Volunteers (Handler and Certified Dog) to help incarcerated parents reconnect with their children, heal from trauma, and build brighter futures.
This is more than volunteering—it's translational therapy in action. You won’t just be providing comfort; you will be an essential tool in teaching empathy, non-judgmental communication, and attachment skills that disrupt the cycle of incarceration.

YOUR MISSION: Creating Bonds, Breaking Cycles
The PPP program integrates Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) into a structured parenting curriculum. Your team provides a stable, loving presence that facilitates critical emotional and educational breakthroughs:
Emotional Regulation: Your dog’s presence immediately lowers anxiety and creates a safe space, allowing mothers to practice emotional regulation and self-reflection.

Parenting Skills: You support the curriculum by modeling gentle, patient, and responsive interaction, which the participants then learn to apply to their own children.

Healing & Hope: You become a tangible link to unconditional love and the outside community, reminding participants of the potential for healing and successful reentry.

THE COMMITMENT
We are seeking reliable, dedicated teams ready to make a consistent impact:

When: Monday Evenings
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Includes screening and debriefing time)

Where: Westchester County Department of Correction, [Valhalla, NY
Duration: February and March for Fathers who are incarcerated and September and October for Mothers who are incarcerated (specific dates provided upon interview). A commitment is for both.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
This high-security, high-reward setting requires a special kind of team. You must possess:

✅ Certification: Current certification as a Therapy Dog Team (Handler and Dog) from a recognized organization.
✅ Resilience: Emotional maturity and comfort working in a correctional environment.
✅ Reliability: Absolute punctuality and commitment to the strict schedule and entry protocols.
✅ Compassion: An ability to demonstrate empathy and non-judgmental support for all participants.
✅ Team Player: Willingness to work collaboratively with program directors, correctional staff, and university students.

WHY THIS IS FABULOUS
Few volunteer roles offer this level of direct, measurable impact. You will see firsthand how a dog’s tail wag can crack the hardest emotional walls, restore self-esteem, and plant the seeds for successful family reunification. This work is life-changing—not just for the parents, but for everyone involved.

Make your Monday evenings matter. Become an indispensable part of a program that is truly changing the criminal justice landscape.

TO APPLY:
Please submit your resume and note of intent to:
[Dr. Kimberly Collica-Cox - [email protected]]
Subject Line: PPP Therapy Team Volunteer - Monday

Note: All volunteers must pass a background check and complete mandatory facility orientation.

https://ppp.blogs.pace.edu/

Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause

Parenting, Prison, and Pups | Pups teaching Parenting ABOUT PPP Parenting, Prison & Pups (PPP), the only program of its kind, is an evidence-based parenting program, initially provided to incarcerated women in jail, the most underserved of all corrections populations, to help them reinvest in their relationships with their children. In January of 2022,...

Please vote for Anna as best pet in the Hudson Valley! She is in the large dog category! Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Westchester County Government Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause Paws Crossed Animal Rescue The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program

https://pets.hvmag.com/

Anna's Bio: If there were a Nobel Peace Prize for dogs, Anna would be the frontrunner. A lovable Lab with a spirit as big as her appetite, Anna serves as a vital bridge of healing and education across Westchester County. As the resident therapy dog for the Westchester County Jail and Pace University, Anna’s workday is more impactful than most. Anna isn't just a pet; she’s a professional healer and a community icon. She spends her life making difficult spaces feel a little lighter and more human. She’s a teacher, a confidante, and a best friend to everyone she meets. Whether she’s on a college campus or inside a correctional facility, Anna has an intuitive ability to know exactly who needs her wagging tail the most.

Integrating a therapy dog into our Inside-Out course has been a total game-changer. While we focus on the deep, often challenging work of self-reflection, Anna provides the perfect emotional anchor to encourage comfort, confidence, support and success! 🐾

Just look at these quotes from our Inside students on their course evaluations in regard to Anna:

"I feel good. I can do what I need to do in class when the dog is in class with me."

"Anna just makes the room feel so good."

"Anna reduces anxiety, reduces stress levels and she made me feel comfortable. When my energy was off she would come to comfort me."

A huge thank you to Anna for helping us grow into a true community and providing the loving space everyone needs to be successful! 🐾🐾🐾

Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Westchester County Government Kimberly Collica-Cox The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program

We are beyond proud of our newest cohort of Inside-Out students - 22 graduates! This week, our "inside" and "outside" students completed their final class together, and the growth we’ve witnessed has been nothing short of inspiring.

Our hope for this program has always been twofold:

For our outside students: That they walk away as more empathetic, human-centered Criminal Justice professionals.

For our inside students: That they recognize the incredible strengths, intelligence, and potential they carry within themselves.

A massive thank you to the Westchester County Department of Correction for hosting us and making this transformative education possible. And, of course, a special wag of the tail to Anna, our therapy dog, for providing the comfort and calm we all needed during our exams. 🐾

Change happens when we start seeing the person, not just the uniform. Congrats, grads! Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Westchester County Government The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program

Today our Pace University students, who completed their volunteer work with Parenting, Prison & Pups, received a “behind the scenes tour” of the Westchester County Department of Correction. We concluded with our class graduation, celebration and plenty of food and drink. The students not only left with their certificates of service, but they left as future caring criminal justice professionals. Thank you always to the Westchester Jail for hosting our students and providing them with this amazing and unique opportunity! Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Westchester County Government Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause

Congrats to our Director for earning "Distinguished Professor" with Pace University - Pace University's highest faculty honor, recognizing exceptional scholarship, teaching, and service. Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Kimberly Collica-Cox

Meet this cute love bug - Candy 🍭- who is being fostered by our young male residents at the Westchester Jail. She is happy, playful and looking for her forever home! 🐾 Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Pace University Westchester County Government Paws Crossed Animal Rescue Kimberly Collica-Cox

Meet our yoga crew! Hatha (male) and Vinyasa (female - black and white) who are being fostered in Puppies on the Block at the Westchester Jail by our female residents. Adopt one of these cuties today 🥰🐾 Pace University Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Westchester County Government Paws Crossed Animal Rescue Kimberly Collica-Cox