“COUNTRY” MATT ELDRIDGE Parolee

"COUNTRY" MATT ELDRIDGE Parolee

Matt Eldridge grew up in a single-parent household in New Iberia, Louisiana with his mom, sister and four brothers. They didn't have much in terms of money and possessions, but the family was close-knit and Matt loved their rural lifestyle.

But growing up in a small town also had its downsides. The slow paced way of life led Matt to find destructive ways of passing the time, starting with shoplifting. He was arrested at the age of 12 for stealing a can of sardines and things didn't get better over the years. Matt started selling drugs at 16 and became a user at 17. It was downward spiral from there. After a near-overdose at 21, Matt found himself back in jail for selling an illegal handgun to an undercover informant. He was sentenced to 15 years ? a mixed blessing because going to prison likely saved his life. While incarcerated at Dixon Correctional Institute Matt fell in love with animals and learned the vet tech skills that earned him the job he has today.

After serving six years of his sentence, he was released on parole to Villalobos. Matt says working with pit bulls has taught him to be compassionate and how to care for something outside of him. He credits his work at Villalobos with helping him to rebuild a relationship with his two young daughters. When he's not working he loves to be with his family and he's still a country boy through and through, so every chance he gets he's fishing and exploring the great outdoors.

RICHARD "SUI" GORDON Parolee

Sui grew up in Newport News, Virginia as the only child of a single mother. Life was tough and at the age of 12 he took to the streets and started dealing drugs. Sui got sucked into fast living and easy money would continue to sell drugs until he was a senior in high school. His past caught up with him when he sold drugs to an undercover police officer. But lucky for him, he made bail without having to spend more than a night in jail. Wanting to get a fresh start, Sui moved to the west coast to pursue his love of producing music and DJ-ing. For seven years he had a music studio and kept a clean lifestyle until a road trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. One wrong turn and he was sucked back into the life of illegal narcotics. Again, Sui sold drugs to an undercover police officer, but this time he was sentenced to five years in prison.

After being released on parole after being locked up for two years, Sui had to stay in Louisiana and has made a home for himself there. He says getting hired at Villalobos changed him for the better and the dogs have taught him true responsibility. His goal is to one-day train service dogs. When he's not working with dogs, he pursues his other love ? music.

PERRY SANCHEZ Tania's Husband

Perry Sanchez, a Louisiana boy to the fullest, grew up hunting, fishing and eating gumbo. Then, another love, skateboarding, came into his life as a teenager and you couldn't find him without his board. Being one of the only skateboarders in his town, Perry met a lot of eclectic people who eventually introduced him to the world of "jumping trains." After five years of traveling the country, he found his way back home ? and into Tania Torres' heart. The two met, fell in love and Perry started working at Villalobos nearly three years ago.

Many times Perry has said that Tania, and the dogs, quite literally saved him. He's always had a love for animals, but this job is more than a job to him since he is surrounded by his new family every day. When Perry's not at work, he still loves to skateboard, play guitar and hang out with Tania, their dogs, and their part-time cat named Simba.

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