Much like every dog owner, Linda* thinks hers is the best. She says two-year-old Sherre has the “cutest” wide-set brown eyes, “chillest personality” and is “full of affection”.
“She’s very loving and sweet-natured,” Linda gushes, as Sherre nudges her way on to her lap for a cuddle.
But Linda is unlike other dog owners. For one, she is in prison. And Sherre – a retired racing greyhound – is her 14th dog in about 12 months.
The duo will only be together for a short time, as part of a program that prepares Sherre for adoption and Linda for life after incarceration.
“I remember, after my first dog left, I was so upset I didn’t want another,” Linda says. “But then I met the next one and there was a connection right away.
“I just love watching the dogs grow and seeing how much it changes the girls’ time here as well.”
Since 2009, prisoners at Tarrengower, a 78-bed minimum security facility 130km north of Melbourne for women nearing the end of their sentence, have helped hundreds of greyhounds settle into new lives.
The program began in 2007 at Dhurringile – a minimum security men’s prison – but it’s at Tarrengower where it has taken off. It Is expected that by April 600 dogs will have “graduated” from the program.
In exchange, the women receive not only companionship but also skills and qualifications that may help them gain employment when their time in custody comes to an end.
Aoife Johnston, the prison’s general manager, says she can see the difference it makes.
“You notice the women involved in the program, they walk around with their head held a little bit higher,” she says.
Johnston says the program is by far the most popular at the prison, with a lengthy waitlist.
“They take such pride in this program,” she says. “It’s so positive for them. It gives them the opportunity to develop skills that they wouldn’t always have the opportunity to in custody.
“The responsibility of caring for the dog is huge, because building a trusting relationship for some of these women can be a difficult thing to do. It’s amazing for their confidence.”
Sam White, the programs manager at the prison, says the women apply to be a “full-time caregiver” as they would if they were going for a job outside prison – there are resumes, job interviews and criteria.
“We take a lot of things into consideration to see whether they’d be a good fit for the program – at the top is, of course, a love of animals,” he says. “But we don’t tend to look at what they’re in here for.”
White says every six weeks or so six retired racing greyhounds arrive at the prison, where they are assigned a caregiver who teaches them basic obedience and commands.
“Things like not to jump on people or pull on their lead, to stay calm when they see another animal,” he says.
They also familiarise the dogs with life away from the racetrack – they get them used to stairs, noisy household appliances and sitting on the couch. They also ensure their coats are clean and their delicate skin is protected.
White says the women take their responsibilities incredibly seriously.
“We have a really high adoption rate,” he says. “About 90% of the dogs that come here end up getting a home right away and that’s a credit to these women.”
Victoria’s corrections minister, Enver Erdogan, says many of the women who have been part of the program have received qualifications in animal studies, which has helped them get work when they leave prison, including as dog groomers, with adoption agencies and in veterinary clinics.
“It’s great because it gives them something to put on their resume as they enter the job market,” he says.
He is not the only politician who is a fan. The Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell has also spruiked the benefits of the “amazing” program.
“The benefits of relationships with animals are proven to reduce recidivism and provide mental health benefits, as well as translating into real world skills,” Purcell says.
But she has concerns about the involvement of the greyhound racing industry, which funds and runs the scheme.
“It cannot be used as a scapegoat for the greyhound racing industry’s overbreeding crisis,” Purcell says.
She has called for the program to continue with the involvement of community rescue groups instead.
According to Greyhound Racing Victoria’s 2022-23 annual report, 2,688 retired greyhounds were re-homed in the financial year, the majority (1,606) by community groups.
It was the fifth year in a row that community groups found more new homes for racing dogs than the industry’s official adoption program. Greyhound Racing Victoria said cost-of-living pressures had played a role “in reduced community demand for pets”.
Despite increased pressure to find homes for retired race dogs, the latest GRV report shows breeding rates are steady, with 4,000 Victorian-bred pups registered to race in 2022-23. A total of 382 racing greyhounds were euthanised during the same period, a slight decrease on the previous financial year.
As for Linda, she hopes to continue working in the program until her time at Tarrengower comes to an end. Some days, she says, it’s the only thing that motivates her to get out of bed.
“My last dog, she was just a doofus,” she says. “She’d get in her water bowl and just splash around. You can’t help but watch her and laugh.
“Even if I was having a really bad day, knowing that I get to go and see her and spend time with her, it makes you think life’s not so bad.”
* Name has been changed
