Original Air Date:
Friday, May 15, 2009
Glenn Close - Puppies Behind Bars:
In Upstate New York at the Fishkill Correctional Facility, some of the 1600 inmates and making a difference in the lives of wounded soldiers, and in turn, themselves. Glenn Close provided the story for Oprah's cameras as they went inside the prison to meet the men who are part of the Puppies Behind Bars program. Many of the men have been put behind bars for abuse, robbery and murder and described shutting down there emotions because it shows their fellow inmates a weakness that's not acceptable in such a cold environment.
Glenn spoke to Michael, Steve, Tyrone, Jesse and Roberto who are all part of the training program and have allowed puppies into their cells and their hearts. The men are given a dog to be in their care 24 hours a day to train as an assistant for a wounded soldier or veteran. The puppies have given the inmates a chance to re-connect with the feelings of responsibility, respect and patience that they had allowed to leave their lives in jail. The dogs have shown the men unconditional love and allowed them to heal some of the wounds that caused them to be imprisoned to begin with.
Roberto and Sgt. Allen Hill:
Behind bars for 2nd degree murder, Roberto has been in jail for 15 years; entering at 17 and now 33 years-old. Stating that he wishes he could turn back time, Roberto understands the pain he has caused his family and his victim's loved ones. Since beginning the Puppies Behind Bars program, Roberto has been able to make great changes in his life because of the love of his training dog, Frankie. Roberto's dog was given to Sgt. Allen Hill who suffers from brain trauma and violent flashbacks. Because of the work that Roberto put into training Frankie, Sgt. Hill is able to begin a new life.
Sgt. Hill is a signature injury from this war, expressed Glenn Close when she sat down with Oprah and unfortunately the wounds and pain are invisible from the outside.
Sgt. Hill was given the opportunity to meet Roberto at the prison and thank him for the time and effort he put in to training Frankie. Sitting down with the other men in the program, the inmates explained to Sgt. Hill, Glenn Close and Oprah's cameras that training the dogs is their way of repaying their debt to society and learning how to open their hearts up again.
Sgt. Hill, Frankie and his wife Gina appeared on the show via Skype and expressed that the dog has been able to help bring the old Allen that went off to Iraq back to Gina and his children in the past 18 months.
Glenn ended the segment by sharing about a blog she writes on FetchDog.com where they sell chew toys for dogs in the shape of a military boot print. The sale of the toys will go to help the lives of many military men and women who have been injured in the war.
Casey Anderson and Brutus the Bear:
Friendships can be found in the most surprising places, including one between a man and a bear cub. Casey Anderson began raising his best friend Brutus when he was just baby and years later the bear was the best man in his wedding. The duo have a great connection and are very close.
Brutus was the first bear to appear on Oprah's show via Skype and Casey fed him a number of items to keep him content while the cameras were rolling. Casey described how he is aware that Brutus could easily hurt or kill him, but says he respects the bear and doesn't cross the line.
Brutus also gets time with other bears, and while Casey notices moments when they treat him differently, he also gets along great with them most of the time. While most bears hibernate during 5 months of the year, Brutus is always up and moving, eating 20,000 calories a day and spending time with his best friend.
Animal Connections and Tara the Elephant:
In a series of clips, Oprah shared odd animal connections, including dogs and orangutans, a dog and a monkey, a bunny and a cat, a dog and baby tigers, a chimp and a white tiger cup, and lastly, the relationship between Tara the elephant and Bella the dog.
Oprah welcomed Carol and Scott via Skype, co-founders of a natural environment for female elephants to retire. In older age, the female elephants take a best friend and are generally with them always. Tara the elephant, however, became best friends with Bella the dog. The duo have defended their relationship from the other elephants and have a strong bond.
Animal Adoption:
Everyone knows that Oprah loves her dogs like they were her children. Wanting to share what joy adopting an animal can bring to people, Oprah welcomed a stage full of men, women and families who have opened their hearts up to a variety of animals and found they added so much to their lives. The group included a number of pets, including dogs, cats, a snake, bunny, birds, a turtle, and even a guinea pig.
