Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
SOME CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES HAVE TRIED BANNING THE OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN DOG
BREEDS, MOST NOTABLY THE PIT BULL. THESE EFFORTS ARE CONTROVERSIAL, DESPITE PIT BULLS' REPUTATION
OF BEING DANGEROUS.
BUT NOW, THE DOGS AND SOME FORMER PRISON INMATES ARE GETTING A BOOST FROM A PROGRAM THAT PUTS
PEOPLE ON PAROLE AND ABUSED ANIMALS TOGETHER.
WE'RE JOINED BY VOA'S REBECCA WARD, WHO WENT ON ASSIGNMENT TO EXPLORE THIS PROGRAM, WHICH
GIVES A CHANCE AT REHABILITATION TO BOTH THE PEOPLE ON PAROLE AND THE ANIMALS. REBECCA,
TELL US HOW THIS ALL GOT STARTED.
WELL I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF DOG CAUSES, I HAVE TWO RESCUES MYSELF, SO WHEN I WENT TO
NEW ORLEANS, MY FRIEND SAID, LET'S GO TO VILLA LOBOS RESCUE CENTER, WHICH IS THE SUBJECT
OF A REALITY SHOW CALLED PIT BULLS AND PAROLEES ON ANIMAL PLANET. AND SO I GOT TO TALK TO
THE FOUNDER OF THE RESCUE CENTER, TIA TORRES, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF THE INMATES, OR FORMER
INMATES I SHOULD SAY, AND I HAVE TO SAY THEY WERE GREAT, AND WERE SO CARING OF THE DOGS.
IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM.
AND WHAT KIND OF CIRCUMSTANCES DO THEY FIND THESE DOGS?
WELL THEY CAN BE IN ANY KIND OF CIRCUMSTANCE. I GUESS THE SADDEST CIRCUMSTANCE IS WHEN THEY
RECOVER DOGS FROM A DOG FIGHTING RING, WHICH HAPPENS ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ALL
ACROSS THE WORLD I IMAGINE. OF COURSE IT IS ILLEGAL, AND SOME OF THE DOGS I SAW HAD BEEN
USED AS BAIT DOGS. SO THEY'RE NOT REALLY VICIOUS, THEY JUST HAVE HAD SUCH TERRIBLE LIVES UP
TO THIS POINT.
WHAT'S THE CENTRAL GOAL OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE PAROLEES WITH THE PIT BULLS?
I THINK THE GOAL IS THAT THEY'RE JUST KIND OF A NATURAL FIT. THEY HAVE BEEN KIND OF CAGED,
AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE GUYS THAT I TALKED TO USED THAT WORD. HE UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY HOW
THE DOGS FELT. AND IT KIND OF BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF BOTH OF THEM.
IT'S FASCINATING. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR PIECE AND WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK.
EARL MOFFETT IS USING HIS SECOND CHANCE TO GIVE ABUSED ANIMALS A SECOND CHANCE. HE'S
ONE OF SEVERAL PAROLEES WORKING WITH VILLALOBOS RESCUE CENTER IN A CITY KNOWN FOR ITS OWN
REBIRTH FROM A DEVASTATING DISASTER. HURRICANE KATRINA NEARLY DESTROYED THE NEIGHBORHOOD
WHERE VILLALOBOS NOW RESIDES. AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES IN CALIFORNIA, NEW LOCAL REGULATIONS
PROMPTED VILLALOBOS FOUNDER TIA MARIA TORRES TO FIND A NEW HOME IN NEW ORLEANS. THE CITY
AND THE STATE, SHE SAYS, HAS BEEN MORE THAN WELCOMING.
"WE'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS HERE IN LOUISIANA - I MEAN YOU
TALK ABOUT A STATE THAT IS SO INTO REHABILITATION FOR THEIR PRISON SYSTEM. SO REFRESHING, SO
REFRESHING. WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT HAVE COME TO US AND SAY, I ARRESTED THIS GUY LAST
WEEK AND I KIND OF FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. HE'S PROBABLY A GOOD GUY. IF HE GETS OUT OF JAIL,
COULD WE HIRE HIM?"
THIS IS NO ORDINARY PET RESCUE PROGRAM. NOT ONLY DOES VILLALOBOS SAVE PITBULLS WITH THE
HELP OF FORMER PRISON INMATES - TIA AND HER TEAM ARE THE STARS OF A POPULAR REALITY TV
SHOW ON CABLE'S ANIMAL PLANET.
BUT THIS BEING A REALITY SHOW, THESE DOGS ARE REALLY RESCUES - SOME BEING FOUND IN APPALLING
CONDITION. "THE VET SAID THE EAR WAS PROBABLY CHEWED OFF BY A RAT OR RACCOON." AND THE GUYS
GIVING THE TOURS TO PROSPECTIVE PET OWNERS ARE REALLY FORMER INMATES.
"WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM GET A SECOND CHANCE JUST LIKE MS. TIA GAVE US A SECOND CHANCE
SO I CAN IDENTIFY WITH THEM GUYS LIKE BEING INCARCERATED."
"I THINK THE PAROLEES DO REALLY WELL WITH THE PITBULLS BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE
A PITBULL. THEY SAY WE LOOK SCARY, AND PEOPLE JUDGE US OUT THE GATE. AND SO THEY SAY THEY
REALLY KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE LOOKED AT AND PEOPLE WALK ACROSS THE STREET WHEN
THEY WALK BY."
PITTBULLS AND PAROLEES WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF MIKEY D - NOW THE CREATIVE PRODUCER. HE
MET TIA WHEN HE ADOPTED A DOG AND NEEDED HELP WITH TRAINING.
"LONG STORY SHORT, I WOULD GO TO TIA'S TRAINING CLASS BUT I'D BE LOOKING AT HER SAYING OH
MY GOSH, SHE IS A ROCK STAR."
MIKEY D WAS ALREADY WORKING IN THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY WHEN HE APPROACHED
TIA ABOUT THE IDEA.
"I PUT SOME STUFF ON PAPER. SECOND CHANCE SHOW, OH MY GOD...YOU KNOW, EX-CONS YOU KNOW.
IT WAS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO VISUALIZE AND I GET IT. THEY WERE LIKE, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT
PITBULLS OR PAROLEES."
BUT SOMEBODY FINALLY DID GET IT AFTER MIKEY D. FOLLOWED TIA AROUND FOR A MONTH WITH A
VIDEO CAMERA. PITBULLS AND PAROLEES DEBUTED ON ANIMAL PLANET IN 2009 AND BEGINS A FIFTH
SEASON THIS YEAR. IN THE MEANTIME, TIA TORRES AND HER TEAM OF PAROLEES AND VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE
TO HELP HUNDREDS OF DOGS FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.REBECA WARD, VOA NEWS, NEW ORLEANS.
THEY SEEM TO BE GETTING TOGETHER PRETTY WELL.
THEY'RE GREAT. THE TWO PAROLEES THAT I MET WERE SO CARING ABOUT THE DOGS, YOU COULD TELL
THAT THEY'RE REALLY WAS A CONNECTION THERE. IT WAS INTERESTING.
AND REBECCA WE KNOW THERE WAS A STRONG CONNECTION FOR YOU, AS WELL, YOU MENTION THAT YOU OWN
TWO DOGS YOURSELF.
NOT JUST DOGS, THEY'RE RESCUES.
TWO RESCUE DOGS, ABSOLUTELY. WELL REBECCA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS STORY
TO US. ONCE AGAIN REBECCA WARD, WITH OUR VERY OWN ON ASSIGNMENT TEAM.