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Ruff news: Dog handlers at Michigan prisons get pay cut

MUNISING, MI (AP)— Michigan prisoners who are trusted to train dogs are getting a 42-percent pay cut to $1.54 per day after a mistake was discovered by the Corrections Department.

Prisoners already receive low wages for their work behind bars. Now, a pay cut from $2.65 per day hurts, especially when the job requires special skills. The Detroit Free Press says a Corrections Department official made a mistake by approving the higher pay rate around 2011.

Men who train dogs at the Alger Correctional Facility say they must have a good record and complete an eight-week training program to get the jobs.

Louise Reichert of Escanaba says her Pomeranian was trained by prisoners and he's been a great pet.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.