Jon Grobman was sentenced to 190 years behind bars with no possibility for parole for grand theft, burglary, forgery, embezzlement, meth possession. And yet he is now a reformed, free man, living with his family in California -- all thanks to Oreo, the first dog that he trained while in prison, as part of Paws for Life K9 Rescue, an innovative rehabilitation program that pairs incarcerated people with pups from 'high kill' shelters. The prisoners commit to spending 6 weeks on training dogs to earn the Good Canine Certificate and become more adoptable. The program has saved and placed 680 dogs and trained many to help veterans with PTSD. But the most remarkable effect of the program has been on 39 human participants, most of them serving life sentences, whose sentences have now been commuted due to "extraordinary behavior". To receive unconditional love from an animal is life-changing when 10 or 20 years ago, you were the animal, and you didn't deserve a second chance, says Jon Grobman emotionally as he talks of the healing that took place.
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