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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Utah Female Prisoners Train Service Dogs for Veterans

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014   

DRAPER, Utah - A program new to Utah allows female prison inmates to train shelter dogs to serve as companion and service animals for veterans suffering from mental health challenges. Cathy King, executive director, Canines With a Cause, says the dogs live with the selected inmates at the Utah State Prison for up to nine months of training, then are paired with veterans to help them cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and other conditions.

"The benefits really are threefold," she explains. "Not only is the dog getting out of a shelter and going to a veteran to help them really improve their life, but the program has been so amazing for the women at the prison."

King says the animals are specially trained as psychiatric service dogs, which is a benefit the Veterans Administration does not provide. The program saves thousands of dollars in training costs, King points out, noting that a trained service dog can cost $15,000 or more.

Currently, six dogs are being trained by inmates serving sentences ranging from two years to life in prison, she says. For veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now struggling to readjust to civilian life, she adds, the dogs can be a huge help in making that transition.

"A lot of these guys wouldn't be able to leave their homes without these dogs because of their high level of anxiety," she explains.

Canines With a Cause has placed more than 200 dogs with veterans since the program started four years ago.

More information about the program is at http://canineswithacause.com.





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