By Chippewa Valley Post Staff
Abused stray dogs and prison inmates are an unusual combination, but a film exploring that unlikely relationship is scheduled for an Eau Claire showing on Friday, Oct. 9.
“Dogs on the Inside” portrays the interactions between neglected strays and prison inmates in a program designed to help the prisoners prepare for a new life after their release. Learning how to handle and care for the dogs is part of the effort to rebuild the inmates’ confidence in their ability to deal with life outside the prison.
The film will be shown at Unity Christ Center in Eau Claire, 1808 Folsom St., at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9. Tickets can be purchased by credit card ahead of the event by calling 715-836-0010. Pastor Mike Wollman of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will lead a discussion following the film.
Child care will be available, as will popcorn and other movie-type treats. Advance tickets are $10.50 for adults and $8.50 for students and seniors, while prices at the door will be $12 and $10.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Treatment Instead of Prison (TIP) Task Force that is working on alternatives to incarceration. The TIP group operates under the umbrella of the local JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope) organization, of which Pastor Wollman is the current president.
One of the group’s goals is to develop programs that will cut Wisconsin’s prison population in half. The film focuses on one program that could contribute to reaching that goal, and illustrates “the resiliency of a dog’s trust and the generosity of the human spirit in the unlikeliest of places,” according to a press release from the filmmakers.
The film was shot in a Massachusetts prison, after a team of animal rescuers delivered a group of abandoned rescue dogs. Inmates were tasked with caring for the dogs and training them in preparation for adoption.
The film focuses on “the power of a second chance” for both prisoners and dogs,” according to a statement from its co-directors. “Connected by their troubled pasts, the dogs learn to have faith in people again while the inmates are reminded of their own humanity and capacity for love and empathy.”