Project Pooch
Non-profit OrganizationsOregon, United States2-10 Employees
Project POOCH is a national non-profit program based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, that connects adjudicated youth in closed custody with shelter dogs, guiding the youth to train the animals and facilitate their adoption. The program provides a constructive activity that pairs youth with shelter dogs, aiming to place the dogs in permanent homes while offering youth an opportunity to develop skills and cope with experiences in custody. The organization operates within the non-profit sector focused on animal welfare and juvenile rehabilitation, addressing needs of both shelter dogs needing homes and youth requiring rehabilitative engagement. The initiative sits within a broader community of animal welfare groups and rehabilitation-focused nonprofits in the region, positioned as a collaborative program that supports humane outcomes for dogs and constructive outcomes for young participants. Project POOCH is based in the Portland metropolitan area and serves as a nationally recognized model within its niche.