ACI trained dog reunites with inmate

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - It was an emotional reunion at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in Cranston Thursday.

For the first time since being sent to Florida, 'Chase', a trained service dog, was reunited with his ACI inmate handler.

Chase was trained as part of The NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans Prison Pup Partnership Program at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Joey Correa is a part of the program aimed at providing inmates with a sense of giving back, as well as a life-changing experience for the disabled men and women who receive the trained dogs.

For three months Correa trained Chase.

"This program changed my life. I really didn't look at animals the way I do now," said Correa.

Austin John Burchard, 31, is now Chase's owner. He traveled all the way from Florida to say thank you to Correa.

In March of 2009, during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Burchard, an Army specialist, suffered a spinal cord injury. He is now confined to a wheelchair.

Some of the tasks Chase was trained to help Burchard with include, picking up dropped objects, retrieving objects, and turning lights on and off.

There are currently about a dozen dogs in training at the John J. Moran Medium Security Facility in Cranston and there are plans underway to expand the program.

NEADS' Prison Pup Partnership Program was first established in 1998, at the North Central Correctional Center in Gardner, MA.

Its goal is to provide rescued dogs and donated puppies with training in order to assist people who are deaf or physically disabled in leading more independent and productive lives.

The program has trained over 1,000 assistance dog teams all over the country. Austin and Chase plan to return to Florida to build on their life together.