AT BOTH ENDS OF THE LEASH (ABEL)
EENP’s prison dog-training partnership transforms lives
At Both Ends of the Leash (ABEL) is Eyes Ears Nose & Paws’ prison-based training program — where incarcerated men transform puppies into skilled assistance dogs, and in the process, transform themselves.
Inside the walls — ABEL becomes a place where responsibility, teamwork, and purpose take root.
Outside the walls — the dogs these men train go on to support people with disabilities for years to come.
How ABEL Works
Inside ABEL: building skills, purpose, and community
Dogs enter ABEL at about six months old and spend more than a year living, learning, and training with incarcerated men who dedicate themselves to the work. The training itself is rigorous — pups learn advanced mobility and medical alert skills — but the real heart of ABEL lies in personal transformation.
A curriculum that develops both dogs and people
Trainers follow a structured curriculum built around:
- Positive reinforcement
- Leadership and peer mentoring
- Daily planning and reflection
- Team-based problem-solving
- Communication and conflict resolution
- Accountability, responsibility, and community-mindedness
Every trainer carries a “red book”, EENP's signature journal of planning pages and reflection prompts that shapes ABEL’s culture of encouragement, acknowledgment, and growth.
ABEL trainers work closely with their assigned dogs, starting with training basic commands before moving on to advanced assistance dog skills. Along the way they develop close relationships with their pups.
Training dogs — and transforming lives
In ABEL, dogs rotate among trainers every four months, and teams share responsibility for every success, setback, and breakthrough. Senior trainers mentor newer ones, learning to “motivate rather than command.”
As their skills grow, trainers begin to see their impact — especially when they meet the clients whose lives are changed by the dogs they helped raise.
Praise and encouragement are central to the ABEL program. That means celebrating training breakthroughs — and each other.
A Pathway Through Reentry
EENP's ABEL program provides a multi-year, continuous pathway supporting ABEL trainers' success from medium security, through minimum security, through work release, and finally into the community.
With support of the NC Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) this pathway allows ABEL participants to stay connected to the program — and to their purpose — as they prepare for life after incarceration.
Minimum security ABEL
All new trainers join the ABEL program at a medium security facility where they spend at least 18 months learning the ropes. When NCDAC approves trainers for promotion to minimum security, they may move to Orange Correctional Center in Hillsborough to continue their work with more interaction with EENP staff, clients, and young puppies. Proximity to EENP’s training center allows real-world experience assisting with training camps and advanced skills sessions.
Work release employment
Approved trainers can become paid EENP staff while still incarcerated — teaching classes, training a full string of dogs, supporting client training, and working with dogs in community environments. These trainers are not just training service dogs in the community, they are building strong professional skills, forming connections in the community, and laying the foundation for a successful transition home.
Post-release transitional employment
After release, former ABEL trainers who need a safe place to land can work at EENP as Temporary Programs Assistants, building stability and earning references as they transition to long-term employment.
Community connections are crucial to the power of the ABEL program.
Culture is the Key
Praise, accountability, and growth
One of the most remarkable aspects of ABEL is the community trainers create together.
In an environment where criticism is common, ABEL becomes a space where men cheer for each other, call out moments of excellence, and learn to lead with empathy.
The ABEL Trainers Say It Best
ABEL trainers share what the program — and your support — has meant to them.
Support transformation — at both ends of the leash
Your gift sustains the ABEL program and supports incarcerated men who are working every day to build new skills, new purpose, and a new path forward.
Want to Learn More About ABEL?
Read speeches and essays from the ABEL trainers or watch our 2016 video about ABEL.
Visit our ABEL photo gallery to see photos from the ABEL program over the years.
- CBS 17 feature on ABEL, March 2025
- NC Health News article on ABEL at WCI, February 2024
