Japan’s first animal program in a prison started in 2009 at the Shimane Asahi Rehabilitation Program Center, located in a small farming community in Western Japan.
There, the inmates raise guide dog puppies until they reach 1 year of age. When the inmates fulfill their responsibilities and send their puppies safely back to the training school, they gain a great sense of accomplishment rather than suffer the sadness of saying goodbye. The program also offers them an opportunity to give back to society, as well as giving them something precious to care for. I’ve been involved with this program as a consultant for many years, and am very proud of their progress.
Iwanami Shoten Publishers, 2015 Yen 840 (Japanese and Korean)
I want to be gentle – Stories of Children at Forget Me Not Farm
Forget Me Not Farm in Sonoma County, California is a haven where children and animals can bond and break the cycle of abuse. It is located on the grounds of the Sonoma Humane Society, and offers animal-assisted and horticultural therapy for young victims of abuse and neglect. Many of the animals at the farm have been rescued from abusive situations themselves. So caring for those animals empowers the children to help them find the compassion that is within them. It’s a wonderful program that I recommend everyone learn about. This book is written for children.
Iwasaki Publishing Co., Ltd., 2012 Yen 1,300 (Japanese)