This video is a snippet of the documentary series Castaways in which inmates rehabilitate dogs that are beyond normal help. Most of the time these dogs have been heavily mistreated or abused, and under normal circumstances they would be euthanized because of it.
In the video, the black lab Esther was gravely mistreated by a puppy mill before being introduced to the program. She’s obviously very frightened. She flattens her ears to her head and presses her body into the ground in a show of ultimate submission. This is highly irregular for labs, who are usually very active and rambunctious dogs.
The program successfully rehabilitates Esther, and teaches her to be less afraid. She stops cowering and even plays fetch with the trainers. Esther is turned from a fearful dog into a playful family pet.
This show takes inmates, who are typically ostracized by normal society, and pairs them up with dogs who are ostracized as well. The result is a new life for the dogs and a new lesson each day for the inmates.
In the end, the inmate and esther must both go their separate ways, as Esther is very likely to be adopted. While the inmate may never see Esther again, they definitely won’t forget each other.
