Unless your shelter has the staffing and policies in place to do it right, you should say “no” to this controversial approach to rehabilitation.

In May 1994 in Mobile, Alabama, a group of teenagers attempted to hang a puppy and burn him alive. A few months later, they were found guilty of cruelty to animals in connection with the abuse.

The presiding judge sentenced one of the young men, a juvenile named “Greg,” to perform 200 hours of community service for the Mobile SPCA. Greg became the first person convicted of a crime against animals that the SPCA, which does not operate a shelter, accepted for community service.

SPCA staff contacted the county shelter, which agreed to allow Greg to spend some of his hours at its facility. SPCA staff then developed a plan with Greg’s case worker to provide Greg with a positive experience, one that might deter him from acting violently again. Before he started working, SPCA staff met with Greg and his parents to make sure everyone had a clear understanding of what he would be doing.

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