Rob Rosa, Senior Vice President of Programs at New Leash on Life and a former 12-year resident of the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, helps prepare abandoned dogs for their forever homes by pairing them with incarcerated individuals who train them, write Matt DeLucia and David Chang for NBC10 Philadelphia.
Rosa spent his time in prison working on farmland with cows and horses. He also volunteered for the prison puppy program, Canine Partners for Life, where he trained service dogs. This experience helped transform his life. After being paroled 20 years ago, he became Assistant to the Executive Director at Canine Partners for Life. He served in leadership roles with several other organizations.
He now oversees the arrival of new dogs into the prison every three months. One such dog, Scrapple, had a harsh past, abandoned and neglected twice, with scars on her legs from abuse.
“We look for the dogs that kind of look like they’ve been thrown away and forgotten,” said Rosa. “My motivation, my drive is not only to rescue the dogs but also to provide an opportunity for all the people who go through the program a fresh start.”
Read more about the program at NBC10 Philadelphia.
