ABEL LEASH CEREMONIES

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About the ABEL Leash Ceremonies

Each ABEL facility hosts a ceremony at the close of each training period for guests of EENP and NC Department of Adult Corrections (DAC) to celebrate the incoming and outgoing dogs as well as the accomplishments of the training period. These ceremonies are held three times a year, approximately one month before EENP's public graduation ceremonies.

At each ceremony,

  • for pups moving into training in ABEL, EENP community trainers pass their dogs' leashes to the ABEL trainers to mark their pups' transition into advanced training in ABEL;
  • for pups graduating from training to be considered for placement with an EENP client, ABEL trainers pass their dogs' leashes to an EENP client or client representative;
  • ABEL trainers give demonstrations of the training process and the dogs' skills, usually in the form of short skits;
  • one ABEL trainer gives a speech about his experience in the program; and
  • after the ceremony, guests can sit down with the ABEL trainers to talk and enjoy light food and drink provided by NC DAC

The leash ceremonies are a special opportunity for EENP's community to personally witness the professionalism and commitment of the ABEL trainers. The attendance of EENP's guests, most coming from over an hour away, is a truly invaluable show of support for the ABEL trainers and the work they do, and they often mention how much it means to them. We hope you can join us for a ceremony!

Ceremony Dates and Details

Orange Correctional Center (OCC)

Hillsborough, NC

  • Friday, January 23, 2026 from 9-11:00 am (arrival 8:45 am)
  • RSVP by Tue 1/13 at 4 pm.
  • Please note the Orange ceremony has been shifted to fall in line with the other ceremonies at other facilities. It is no longer connected to client team training or team matching.
  • Minors are not allowed to attend ceremonies at Orange CC, with the exception of minor clients and siblings/children clients accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Warren Correctional Institute (WCI)

Manson, NC

  • Thursday, January 29, 2026 from 12:30-3 pm (arrive 9:30 am to 12:00 pm depending on training and blue card options. Arrival times have not been confirmed by WCI and may change! We will send firm arrival times by email once they are provided to us.)
  • RSVP and record check form due by Tue 1/13 at 4 pm.
  • Unfortunately, minors are not able to attend ceremonies at Warren.
  • You must attend training at Warren in order to attend a leash ceremony, unless you have an unexpired blue card (have attended training in the last year). The RSVP form will help you determine if you need training or not in order to attend.
Caswell Correctional Center (CCC)

Blanch, NC

  • Tuesday, February 3, 2026 from 1-3:00 pm (arrival 12:15-12:30 pm)
  • RSVP by Tue 1/13 at 4 pm.
  • Clients who are minors may be able to attend the ceremony at Caswell if accompanied by their parent or guardian. Caswell no longer allows other minors to attend.
  • Currently, guests may attend all three leash ceremonies at Caswell each year without taking additional volunteer training from NC DAC. This policy may change at any time.
Tentative Dates for Upcoming Leash Ceremonies

We expect to have leash ceremonies on the following dates in 2026 if you would like to pencil them in on your calendar. These dates are subject to change.

  • OCC: Fridays - 2026: Jan 23, May 8, Sep 25
  • WCI: Thursdays - 2026: Jan 29, May 14, Oct 1
  • CCC: Tuesdays - 2026: Feb 3, May 19, Oct 6

Want to Attend?

Fill out the form below to RSVP. You can also access the RSVP form directly at this link if you are having difficulty with the embedded form below.

IMPORTANT: if you did not receive an invitation directly from EENP (by email or Slack), you MUST enter the name of the person who invited you under "Other" in the "Who invited you?" section. We must know your connection with EENP in order to process your RSVP.

IMPORTANT: please check for a confirmation email after you submit  your RSVP. It will have the subject line "We have received your ABEL leash ceremony RSVP". It may be in spam. If you do not receive a confirmation email, we did not receive your RSVP!

If you need to submit an authorization form for a background check for a ceremony, please RSVP and then check your email (sender "Maria Ikenberry") for the link to submit the form online. After you sign and submit it, you'll need to call our office at 919-408-7292 to provide your social security and drivers license numbers over the phone (do not leave this information on voicemail).

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