Dog dad in prison lost all hope when pet visit was denied — then he received mail from his best friend that kept him going

Stripped of freedom, he clung to a face that lived only in memory.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) A cute dog with tongue out waiting behind a fence outdoors, (R) Prisoner reading received letter. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | (L)aire images, (R) AZemdega)

Life is not always fair, but one man found the silver lining in his dog’s unconditional love. When he was sentenced to years in prison, P. G. Sittenfeld, former Cincinnati City Council member, weathered the most difficult time of his life, looking at the picture of his furry pal, Oakley. A 30-pound rescue dog, believed to be part Australian shepherd and part Brittany Spaniel, became his rock as he endured a brutal prosecution, as reported by Esquire. Even as an inmate, Sittenfeld hoped to see his beloved pup, but laws did not allow it. A close friend’s thoughtful gift sent through the mail offered reassurance.

Prison officer leading prisoner in handcuffs in a corridor. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | LightFieldStudios)

Sittenfeld, 40, had served as Cincinnati’s youngest councilman for nine years and was hopeful about his mayoral run when sudden corruption charges hit him and his political career like a storm. Indicted in 2020, he spent three years rummaging through official papers to prove his innocence. It was all overwhelming, but Oakley, his pet dog with white fur and black spots, kept him calm. She also became his best comrade, snuggling beside him on the couch and listening to his one-sided conversations. Oakley was always at the beck and call of her owner, but when he was sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2023, Sittenfeld doubted whether she understood his absence at home.

A Bernese Mountain Dog waits patiently to come inside. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Jennifer A Smith)

Starting his inmate life at a federal prison camp in rural Kentucky, Sittenfeld was devastated to be separated from his family and Oakley. When he came to know about a dog-training program at his prison, the dog lover in him was overjoyed. He would spend hours playing with the pups, but his heart yearned for his own. When missing his family, Sittenfeld would look at a couple of family photos he had in his possession and eagerly wait for his wife and two sons’ weekend visits. However, there was no way to meet Oakley as pets were not allowed. He even considered requesting the guards to allow Oakley for a brief meeting, but on a trusted inmate’s advice, he dropped the idea. Soon, Sittenfeld received mail from one of his close friends.

Young adult with beard kissing his dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Oscar Romero Ruiz)

Upon opening the letter, his face lit up with joy as he stared at a picture of his pup he had been longing for all this time. “Every morning when I woke up, every evening when I went to bed, and numerous times throughout the day, her sweet, furry face looked back at me,” the dad of two wrote. Eventually, he noticed that it was not just him but most of the inmates had found solace and hope in smaller creatures around the prison. Some fed stray cats while others threw stale bread at pigeons flying over the facility. A younger inmate, 19, had “adopted” a one-eyed mouse and even protected him from cats in the prison compound. Two months later, Sittenfeld was released in a miraculous turn of events and happily reunited with his family and his dear Oakley.