How Arizona inmates and shelter dogs are helping veterans heal

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville is one of 13 prison facilities operated by the Arizona Department of Corrections. Located in Goodyear, a unique program is unfolding behind the barbed wire inside one of the units: a group of inmates is training service dogs.

What they're saying:

Reagan Starkley is one of those inmates. "Well, they started last year, and I love dogs," she said. "So I started to get involved. I helped with starting this project with the dog park and, from there, it flourished, and they accepted me in the program. The new program. And it's gone great."

Starkley explained that the first week is dedicated to getting the dogs socialized and settled into their environment. From there, they begin basic training such as sitting and lying down to get the animals acclimated.

"They come here, and they’ve got different backgrounds, abuse or anything from shelters, you know, so you just get them ready for their forever home," Starkley said.

Leslie Bryant says the program originally launched in 2024 at Fort Grant before expanding to Perryville. Bryan added that the purpose behind the program is what matters most: dogs rescued from shelters are paired with veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries through the organization Soldiers Best Friend.

"We choose our dogs at the shelter by their behavior and temperament," Bryant said. "We make sure they're not aggressive—dog aggressive or people aggressive—and that they would rather spend time with a human than go out and play with a big pack of dogs."

According to Bryant, veterans apply to the program and undergo an interview to identify their specific needs so they can be matched with the right dog. The inmates also go through a rigorous three-step interview process to become handlers. Once accepted, they complete a six-week basic handler course before working with a trainer and the animals.

Mary Price, the Perryville training coordinator and a professional dog trainer for five years, visits the prison twice a week.

"The dogs live in the housing for the inmates. They have their own kennel, and they stay with them 24/7," Price said. "The ladies work together and rotate the dogs... which makes it easier to transition the dog to the veteran so that they don’t bond too much with any particular person."

For the veterans, the moment they meet their new service dog is life-changing. Ed Runge, who served in the Marines and the Navy, sustained a traumatic brain injury more than 25 years ago after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle.

‘I felt the immediate connection’

"I lost consciousness for a while, and just how it's affected me since," Runge said. He noted that most days he does not leave his home, but he hopes his new service dog will give him the confidence and a reason to live again. "When I met her, I felt the immediate connection... really emotional."

Soldiers Best Friend will provide continuing training for both the veteran and the dog, while the inmates continue to find purpose in their work.

"Honestly, to me, this is the best opportunity in here," Starkley said. "We're not only learning how to train dogs, but it's like you learn a bunch of personal qualities like patience and how to deal with different situations better. We’ve got a great trainer that looks at us like normal people. It’s just great."