Adopted: Ellie Finds Her Furr-ever Home

Published on July 10, 2025

The Allegheny County Jail TAILS program recently celebrated its first successful adoption.

Ellie, formerly known as Ethel, was adopted by a local family on July 9, 2025. Ellie was the first TAILS participant in the collaborative program between the Allegheny County Jail and Animal Friends.

Ellie was renamed after arriving at the jail as Ethel on June 11. She is a 38-pound mixed-breed female who spent the past month on the jail’s female programming pod to learn basic skills and increase her adoptability. Three incarcerated handlers provided Ellie training with weekly visits from Animal Friends trainers providing oversight and direction.

The TAILS program is ongoing and expects to receive its next canine participant imminently.

Anyone interested in adopting can visit: ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org/adopt.

Ellie-becomes-the-first-TAILS-participant-to-be-adopted.jpg — Ellie becomes the first TAILS participant to be adopted.

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Ellie snoozes on the floor of her new home.

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Media inquiries may be directed to Jesse Geleynse, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny County Jail
jesse.geleynse@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-350-1267 or 412-760-4760 (cell).