GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A popular jail program pairing inmates with furry animal shelter friends is on indefinite hiatus starting Monday, according to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.
Officials with the county said the decision to suspend the program comes amid modifications to the Gwinnett County Jail in order to provide care and security to inmates facing mental health and chronic illnesses.
Starting in 2010, the Jail Dogs Program began as a partnership between the sheriff's office and the Society of Humane Friends.
According to a release, the program has helped adopt 1,500 cats and dogs from shelters and provided numerous inmates with "vocational skills they can use once released from custody."
"These dogs have been in the worst situations you could imagine," then-inmate Jason Benson said during an interview with 11Alive back in 2022. "I mean, hoarder situations, strays on the street. They've had broken bones, been abandoned, beaten. They come in, they don’t trust anybody, and they’re scared. So we slowly gain their trust back and start teaching them things.”
Many of the trainers exit their jail cells with skills, patience and purpose.
Cpl. Cody Walker with the Sheriff's Office said a couple of former inmates with the Jail Dogs Program now work at doggie daycares, while another owns their own business. One former inmate even runs an animal control department.
Right now, there are four remaining dogs as part of the program. You can learn more about adopting one of them here.
On Monday, the sheriff's office released the following statement in
The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office held a meeting with executives from the Society of Humane Friends and established our goal to continue to invest in therapeutic programs. We value the input of this organization, and we are working to find adoptive homes for the remaining dogs. Any dogs not adopted prior to this closure will be fostered in a new location. While the temporary suspension of the program is not ideal, it will allow us to ensure we provide an optimal environment for all inmates. This decision was made after careful consideration, and once it is feasible, the Jail Dogs Program will be reestablished.