Thank you for your interest in our Cell Dog program--we are very proud of it.  All Cell Dogs are available for an adoption fee of $155. In addition to the training each dog has received, the adoption fee includes:

• Spay or neuter surgery
  
• All vaccinations appropriate for the dog's age including rabies
  
• Worming treatment
  
• Flea treatment
  

• Heartworm test
• Lee County pet license
• AVID Microchip ID
  

8 week training course for both the dog and the new owner (required)   

The training course, normally $125, continues the dog's training and teaches the owner what the dog already knows. The total adoption package is valued at $500 for veterinary, training, and other services. 

I want to adopt a Cell Dog! 

What’s the next step? 
We have developed four requirements for adopting a Cell Dog:       

1)  You must submit an application. There is a link to it at the bottom of this page. Print it out, complete it, and fax it to the number at the bottom of the form.

2)  You must make an appointment to meet the dogs in person. Cell Dog Open House is every Tuesday night at 6:30pm at the CPU Correctional facility next to the Lee County Stockade. We are at 2501 Ortiz Avenue (near I-75) between Colonial and S.R. 82.You will need security clearance (criminal history and outstanding warrants check) before we can admit you to the facility. Please email the following information to Corporal Scott Heimlich at sheimlich@sheriffleefl.org

Full Name  / Date of birth  / Race  / Sex   / Social Security number

If you are not comfortable emailing that information you may phone it in to Cpl. Heimlich Monday-Friday between 7:30am and 2:30pm at 477-1718, or deliver it to him personally. When you are cleared for admission Cpl. Heimlich will contact you to schedule your visit.

3)  When your application is approved, you will be required to sign a standard adoption contract / agreement.

4)  After you take your Cell Dog home, you must attend Beginner Obedience classes with your new Cell Dog. There is no additional fee for this class—it is included in the adoption fee. These classes are at Companion’s facility off Daniels Parkway (not at the Correctional facility!) on Tuesdays at 6:30pm. Follow this link for a map: http://www.companiondogtrainingcenter.com/id2.html

If you are not prepared, for whatever reason, to attend this training with your new Cell Dog, we would recommend you contact Little Red Dog Rescue. We work closely with this organization, which frequently has very nice dogs available with no training requirement. http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/FL458.html

Frequently Asked Questions

Your application is so detailed. What’s so special about these dogs?
Not a thing. They are all unwanted rescues from Lee County Animal Services or other rescue operations. But we select these dogs, sometimes nurse them back to health, and build their trust and confidence while we train them. We become quite attached to these dogs in the months we work with them, and so do the inmate handlers. We want the best-matched home for these animals for the rest of their lives.

I live outside Lee County…Can I adopt a Cell Dog?  
Maybe…the important thing is that you be able to attend the 8-week class on Tuesday nights. In general, we adopt only to Lee and the surrounding counties for that reason.

I already know which dog I want from his picture on the internet. Do I have to come to the Correctional facility to meet it?  
Yes. The Cell Dogs enjoy a certain amount of celebrity. Their pictures appear on TV, the internet, and in newspapers. People feel like they know the dog from seeing his pictures and story in the media, but the photos might not depict the dog’s personality so well.

Do I have to meet / interact with the inmate handlers?  
No, but most people have seemed glad they did. We bring the dogs to the front entry area so the visitors don’t enter the compound. Dogs can be brought all the way out of the facility if desired. In general, our past visitors have seemed to enjoy the talking to the handlers. Why do I have to take the dog to Companion Dog Training afterward?

These dogs have had 8 weeks of beginner obedience training, which does NOT make them Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. Some people have unrealistic expectations, and participating in the training process shows the new owner what to expect from the dog. Dog Training is more about teaching you to think like a dog than trying to teach a dog to think like a human.....they can't!

Companion Dog Training provides training for the Cell Dog’s new owner at no cost. This is your chance to learn what the dog already knows. When the free training is over, you can take the dog anywhere you’d like for more advanced training. But we definitely want to show the new owners what we’ve shown the dog.

As trainers, we have seen how much the dog-human relationship is improved with training. As rescuers, we have seen many dogs abandoned because of problems that training could have easily cured or prevented. We firmly believe in the value of training as a means to improve the quality of life of both the pet and the owner. Your pet will definitely enjoy it.