This month the employee spotlight is aimed at Alyssa Barnes, communications officer in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Alyssa is an animal lover and volunteers with both Canine Cellmates and the Atlanta Humane Society.
How did you get connected with Canine Cellmates?
I volunteer at the Atlanta Humane Society and someone there told me about Canine Cellmates. It was just getting started and I talked to the person who originated it and thought it sounded like a good opportunity and started working with them. That was about June of last year.
What does the organization do?
They pick dogs out of the Atlanta Fulton County shelter that basically are on doggy death row, and they pick dogs that are not likely to get chosen for adoption- animals that are usually larger, and often dog breeds that people are hesitant to adopt, like pitbull mixes. They do a small assessment to verify that they are trainable and could potentially make good pets, then they pull those animals out and pair them with inmates in the Atlanta Fulton County Jail. The inmates have been chosen through a process and they get to work with the dogs. The inmates live 24/7 with the animals in a bunker and they work with trainers who come into the jail and teach them how to train the dogs. So you have a couple of things going on there, you're training the dogs to be good pets for people in the future and you're also training the inmates to have a new skill so when they walk out the door they could potentially go work as a dog trainer or a vet technician or something along those lines. They could definitely work with animals. Also I think an offshoot of the program is in addition to the direct dealing with the dogs, a lot of the people (including the president of program) have gotten very close to some of the inmates and have made it a mission to help them get back on their feet. At this point they are providing things beyond just training them to work with dogs. They are also helping them find positions once they are out of the jail. They also are trying to help them with housing options so it becomes greater than the original purpose of the program.
What do you do as a volunteer?
I help them out with special events, and when we go to a different venue, I help show the dogs when they're ready to be adopted and I introduce people to the dogs. In addition to that I also help with their marketing flyers.
What do you enjoy about it?
I like working with the animals. I like being able to connect the right person up with the right animal. All of the animals have different personalities just like people and different people are looking for different things so I am making that connection.
How much time per month do you spend volunteering with Canine Cellmates?
About three or four hours. Sometimes more.
Have you seen a lot of success stories for the dogs that have gone through this program and been adopted?
Yes, I am guessing around 20 dogs have been trained, gone through the program and been adopted. So far there's a 100% success rate.
Have there been any instances where inmates adopted a dog they trained when they were released?
No, not that I know of. They would like to because they have formed a strong bond, but I don't thin kit has happened. It’s sad when they have to leave them.
What could staff members who read this do to help?
They can go to the Facebook page for Canine CellMates or to the website.
How much time do you spend volunteering at the Atlanta Humane Society?
About 15 hours a month. I primarily work with the cats.
Since it's so close to campus (981 Howell Mill Road), is their volunteer schedule flexible enough for people to do it during their lunch hour?
There are things that they could do during lunch hour however the only negative to that is I think they require a minimum of a 6 hour commitment a month. You could go over there and walk dogs for an hour a few times a month. They always need dog walkers. You could volunteer a couple of hours on the weekend. as long as you get your six hours in they are very very flexible.
