THREAD with a happy ending: A month ago, I found an abandoned stray puppy sleeping in a Baton Rouge park. She was malnourished and covered in mange, but still wagged her tail when I walked over. I started frantically calling local animal shelters.

Then I remembered the Pen Pals animal shelter at Dixon Correctional Institute, a Louisiana prison where some inmates are tasked with caring for lost and abandoned pets that are later placed up for adoption. The @Louisiana_DOC program works with the @HumaneSociety and @LSUVetMed.

While making these arrangements, I named the pup Rosie. Here is a video of her following me around the parking lot. Look at those paws!

The prison immediately agreed to take Rosie, even though it was a Friday evening after hours. So I scooped her up with help from @hscheinukphoto and got her in the car. We drove to Dixon, where an inmate who works in the animal shelter was waiting to receive her.

Now four weeks later, she has received some much needed veterinary care and a proper diet, plus a little play time and training. Look at this big girl learning to walk on a leash. What a star https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌟" title="Leuchtender Stern" aria-label="Emoji: Leuchtender Stern">

The end — Rosie will be available for adoption when she grows up. In the meantime, shoutout to @Louisiana_DOC for running this program, which allows incarcerated men to connect with homeless pets. Their hard work and compassion no doubt saved Rosie& #39;s life.

Another pupdate on Rosie and her journey: this beautiful video sent to me by her new friends at Dixon Correctional https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❤️" title="Rotes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Rotes Herz">