VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas – DiAnna Reich of Van Zandt County is the program administrator for the Just Kids Hands On Pet Education (JK HOPE) Program which was recently profiled in the Grand Saline Sun newspaper. Reich is a Grand Saline police officer who handles code enforcement and animal control. The program has been in place for five years and has three aspects: Animal Shelter, School Intervention, and Community Awareness. With the Animal Shelter and School Intervention Programs, youth participate in a six-week program either at the shelter or at school with classroom time and hands on training working with a dog. The dogs are transformed into well-mannered pets more likely to be adopted into a loving home. In the Community Awareness program, the youth participate in adoption clinics, presentations, and festivals where the youth are able to demonstrate what they have learned. The article in the Sun describes the value of JK HOPE for the kids saying, “The program aims to provide youth with positive instructions and incentives which will improve their sense of responsibility, patience, compassion, motivation, problem solving, self-discipline, self esteem, nurturing, and grieving.”
Reich describes a success story that really hits home for her: “Lolly came into our shelter and was one of the first dogs to be in the JK Hope program. She learned her basic skills from the program, but was looked over every time by potential adopters because they didn’t like her look or she had more energy than what they could handle. The time came that I had to make the decision and my husband met her and well, she’s got that 6’7’’ man wrapped around her paw. I’m so excited to get to use her for this program. She loves the attention from the kids and it’s been wonderful so far seeing kids who have that tough exterior or front, melt when she gives them hugs and attention.”
Reich describes a success story that really hits home for her: “Lolly came into our shelter and was one of the first dogs to be in the JK Hope program. She learned her basic skills from the program, but was looked over every time by potential adopters because they didn’t like her look or she had more energy than what they could handle. The time came that I had to make the decision and my husband met her and well, she’s got that 6’7’’ man wrapped around her paw. I’m so excited to get to use her for this program. She loves the attention from the kids and it’s been wonderful so far seeing kids who have that tough exterior or front, melt when she gives them hugs and attention.”