HOLBROOK, Ariz. — It's not something you'd expect to see or hear inside a prison.

The prisoners are giggling. The puppies are playing.

It's 8 a.m. at the Navajo County Jail in Holbrook, a time when Jennifer Lindke and Darlene Sanchez would normally be locked in their cells, but they're enjoying more freedom than the other inmates by cuddling and caring for their pack of 4-month-old puppies.

“It's a real blessing to not have a cage overhead and be able to see the sky, and we really enjoy it,” Sanchez said.

A blessing in prison? You probably wouldn't expect to hear such a phrase from someone who has been deprived of their freedom.

The prison's animal rescue and rehabilitation center opened in January and is already reaching its goals: Abandoned and neglected dogs are finding new homes with loving families, and well-behaved inmates are finding purpose while incarcerated and gaining skills they can use when they re-enter society.

It all started with a dog named Rambo.

The crossbreed shepherd, found by a hunter in Pinedale, had a 20-inch open wound on his back. Program manager Amanda Palmer said Rambo was likely abandoned. This happens all too often in Navajo County, Palmer said, when dog owners abandon their pets because they can't afford to feed them or simply don't want them anymore.

“Someone let a good dog get away,” Palmer said.

Navajo County Animal Control would have taken a dog like Rambo to one of the local shelters, which are often full or overcrowded. Now, non-aggressive stray dogs can end up in jail.

A total of 26 dogs have been through the program since January, and 12 have found forever homes, including Rambo, who was adopted by a sheriff's sergeant and still spends a few days a week at the jail.

The group of five women inmates who feed, bathe and clean up after the puppies call themselves the “Paw Patrol.” Only inmates charged with nonviolent offenses are open to the program. Positions open up as Paw Patrol inmates are released from or transferred to prison. Sanchez will be heading to prison soon.

“When I choose a new girl, I'm very selective,” Sanchez said.

PAW Patrol inmates are sometimes left unattended in the prison's old reception area, which was used as a storage facility before it was utilized by the rehabilitation program.

“Some sheriffs were concerned about leaving them there,” Palmer said, “but if they fail, they're going to be taken out of our program.”

So far, that trust has not been broken.

Sanchez and Lindke said they grew attached to the dogs in the program and it's always bittersweet to see them go — and they hope to leave soon, too.

“I made a bad decision. I put myself in that situation and I had the opportunity to show I'm a better person,” Sanchez said.

“I'm going to enjoy every moment here, but of course the goal is to get out of here,” Lindke said. “Freedom for all of us.”

The program submits photos of dogs available for adoption to the Navajo County Sheriff's Office. Facebook page.

There is no adoption fee, but donations are encouraged, Palmer said. There is also an Amazon wish list. For more information, click here.

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