Houtzdale Puppy Program Welcomes Special Visitor

On Sept. 13, representatives from United Disabilities Services arrived at SCI Houtzdale to drop off a new dog for training — and they also brought a very special guest to visit the staff and inmate handlers.

Quincy was originally brought to Houtzdale in Dec. 2019 and returned to UDS in Sept. 2020 to continue his training. Unfortunately, it was discovered that he had bursitis in his front shoulders making him ineligible to become a service dog. UDS was not ready to release him from the program, due to his excellent demeanor and skills, so he was promoted to a UDS Ambassador Dog. His primary function now is to travel with UDS staff promoting their program and all the good that service dogs can do for individuals, schools, and facilities.

Upon his arrival at Houtzdale, he quickly remembered where he was and was very excited to greet the visitor lobby staff. Once on the housing unit he was able to see the inmate handlers who contributed to his early training.