Twin Towers Correctional Facility held a congratulatory event on Thursday, July 6, in honor of a yellow Labrador retriever that has spent the past year in the care of a sheriff’s department custody assistant and regularly visited with inmates as part of the pup’s training with Guide Dogs of America.
The dog, Gretel, was teamed up over the past 14 months with her foster “puppy raiser,” Custody Assistant Deanna Valenzuela, a 17-year Sheriff’s Department veteran.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Gretel will officially leave Valenzuela’s care on July 15 and return to Guide Dogs of America for her formal training as a guide or service dog. Valenzuela has been working with Gretel since April 8, 2022.
Deanna Valenzuela, Sheriff Custody Assistant, and “Gretel” are interviewed by media at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles Thursday, July 6, 2023. Valenzuela has spent the past 14 months fostering Gretel at the facility for Guide Dogs of America in a first-ever such program at the Sheriff’s facility. Gretel will now head back to Guide Dogs, where she will be trained as a service dog, care dog, or guide dog. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
“Gretel” takes a break from all the attention at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles Thursday, July 6, 2023. Valenzuela has spent the past 14 months fostering Gretel at the facility for Guide Dogs of America in a first-ever such program at the Sheriff’s facility. Gretel will now head back to Guide Dogs, where she will be trained as a service dog, care dog, or guide dog. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Deanna Valenzuela, Sheriff Custody Assistant, and “Gretel” pose for photos at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles Thursday, July 6, 2023. Valenzuela has spent the past 14 months fostering Gretel at the facility for Guide Dogs of America in a first-ever such program at the Sheriff’s facility. Gretel will now head back to Guide Dogs, where she will be trained as a service dog, care dog, or guide dog. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Gretels special uniform at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles Thursday, July 6, 2023. Gretel has spent the past 14 months at the facility for Guide Dogs of America in a first-ever such program at the sheriff facility. Gretel will now head back to Guide Dogs of America where she will be trained as a service dog, care dog, or guide dog. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
L to R; Sgt. Julian Flores, Capt. Anthony Geisbauer, and Javier Azteca pose with “Gretel” at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles Thursday, July 6, 2023. “Gretel”, a Guide Dog of America puppy, has spent the last 14 months at the facility in a first-ever such program at the Sheriff’s facility. Gretel will now head back to Guide Dogsof America, where she will be trained as a service dog, care dog, or guide dog. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Valenzuela “has assisted Gretel in achieving many milestones required for her transition into becoming either a guide or service dog. Gretel has learned basic house obedience rules and is now ready to move to the next training phase,” according to the Sheriff’s Department.
During their time together, Valenzuela and Gretel visited general population inmates, inmates with mental illness, and even LASD staff at other county jail facilities, sheriff’s officials said.
During a gathering at the Twin Towers jail Thursday morning, Valenzuela said being exposed to the activity at the lockup prepared Gretel for the next stage of her training, by teaching her to remain calm in difficult situations.
“To come into an unknown environment and to be OK with it,” Valenzuela told KNX News. “What OK means is she’ll just lay down and relax, and she’s not startled by anything — loud noises, carts, slamming doors. Nothing bothers her.”
She told KNX that Gretel’s success at the jail could open the door for more service dogs-in-training to spend time at the facility.
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