BARK youth learn how much their service matters to humans and dogs at a special celebration

Stephen Knight with Zuzu.
Stephen Knight, Dogs Matter
Spike Jr.
Spike Jr.

By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications —

The BARK dorm at Gainesville State Juvenile Correctional Facility celebrated a belated first anniversary last week in a ceremony that featured one of the dog owners the youth helped out last year.

The young men of BARK (Building Attachment and Resiliency K-9) also met Stephen Knight, the founder of Dogs Matter and a CNN 2024 Hero of the Year. Knight’s pioneering program provides temporary foster care for the pets of people in addiction crisis, helping them avoid having to surrender their furry family members to a shelter.

Dallas Pets Alive, a nonprofit that finds foster homes for shelter animals, assisted Dogs Matter when it began in 2015 and ultimately partnered with them and expanded its own operations to provide temporary fostering for people experiencing homelessness or emergent medical, rehab or financial hardships. DPA created the PASS (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender) program and then partnered with BARK, which was already in development at TJJD.

Britton Coursey and Zuzu.
Britton Coursey with Zuzu

TJJD has operated canine programs before. Animal stewardship helps youths build relationships, empathy and responsibility while learning dog-care skills valuable in the job market.

The new partnership with DPA, however, has taken this idea to the next level. The youths play a big role, providing a community service that connects with their own struggles. Like the dog owners they are helping, many TJJD youths have faced challenges, such as substance abuse or other barriers to success, and are undergoing tumultuous changes as they strive to build their lives back.

It was affirming for them to hear last week from Britton Coursey, whose dog Zuzu stayed at BARK for four months while Coursey sought help for addiction. He and his dog are back together now. Coursey is six months sober and working full-time.

Coursey told the audience of TJJD youth and staff and Dallas Pets Alive staff and volunteers how much it meant to him to have Zuzu well cared for while he was in recovery.

Leslie Sans speaking to the crowd.
Leslie Sans, Dallas Pets Alive

Stephen Knight also encouraged the youth in their mission as he spoke at the Jan. 7 event marking BARK’s first-year achievements. He told how he founded Dogs Matter to help others like himself succeed in their sobriety journey. Knight’s program Dogs Matter (yes, they take cats too) has been credited with helping more than 1,200 dogs and their owners since inception.

The current BARK youth and campus staff attending the event also heard from Leslie Sans, the founder of DPA, and Sarah McGoldrick, who oversees the PASS program and serves as liaison to BARK. Gainesville campus Supt. Darryl Anderson spoke to the group as well. Anderson has said the BARK dorm, where the youth selected must stay on target in school and treatment, serves as an incentive and model for all youth at the campus.

Finally, BARK’s supervising JCO James Adams handed out individual “Lifesaving Achievement” certificates to all the youths in the dorm, which currently houses 16 young men and six dogs.

The certificates from Dallas Pets Alive mirror the Lifesaving Award that the non-profit presented to TJJD at the DPA annual fundraiser and awards ceremony in November.

“We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the chance to offer this program to the youth. At the heart of our mission is supporting both ends of the leash, and it’s been remarkable to witness the profound impact this program has on both the dogs and their owners, as well as the youth,” McGoldrick said.

James Adams congratulates youth.
JCO James Adams, BARK team lead
Spike Jr. with youth.

“The youth in the BARK program are helping save lives and are undeniably deserving of their own Lifesaving Achievement certificates. The BARK program is truly transformative and life-changing for everyone involved.”

(BARK’s actual one-year anniversary was in September, but the ceremony had to be delayed.)

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