After spending nine years at James River Correctional Center for grand larceny and receiving stolen property, Mark Finch has been on the outside for four months.

Now he’s got his own business going, called Five Star Canine, thanks to a program run by FETCH a Cure, a local nonprofit organization devoted to improving the life of pets.

Through a partnership with the Virginia Department of Corrections, inmates at Virginia correctional centers - James River Correctional Center, Buckingham, Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women and Lunenberg Correctional Center – train and socialize rescue dogs.

They do so with guidance and instruction from two professional dog trainers in a program called Pixie’s Pen Pals.

Pixie’s Pen Pals is a former program of Save Our Shelters, which dissolved in August of this year.

The program not only lowers the rate of euthanasia in Virginia’s city dog shelters, but also provides life skills to inmates.

“It changed my life,” said Finch. “It helped prepare me for when I got out.”

FETCH a Cure was chosen to take over that program, which takes dogs from Richmond Animal Control and the Southside SPCA shelters.

On average, 50 inmates are enrolled in the program each year and 220 dogs are adopted out through the program.

FETCH a Cure touts the program as promoting inmate rehabilitation and increased positive interaction between correctional staff and inmates.

“Inmate handlers learn viable job skills and some have gone on to become professional dog trainers following release,” according to a recent press release from FETCH a Cure.

Finch, 30, who spent a year and a half in the program before his release, would agree.

“It’s a good opportunity for the inmates,” said Finch. “It’s therapy both ways, for the inmates and the dogs.”

Finch said the program teaches responsibility and helps inmates meet people with positive lifestyles.

“Once I got a taste of it there was no turning back,” said Finch, who said he has always loved dogs.

Inmates who are in the program take responsibility for the dogs 24 hours a day while they are being trained and socialized.

Sometimes when they have to give up a dog, it can be hard, said Finch.

“It gets real emotional to let them go,” he admitted. One of Finch’s favorite dogs was Brice, a dog he trained as a service dog for a woman who suffers from seizures.

Now, running Five Star Canine, he trains dogs from rescue groups and helps get them adopted.

Finch said his success with the program helped pave the way for him to start his own business when his sentence was up.

“I made a name for myself,” he said, admitting that without the program he wouldn’t have known where to start.

To find out more about the Pixie’s Pen Pal program and FETCH a Cure, visit their website at www.fetchacure.com.