GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A unique program in Gwinnett County is helping inmates and shelter dogs both get another shot at a new life.
Operation: Second Chance aims to give inmates a purpose along with a new set of skills to help them once they're released. It also cares for dogs that may have been surrendered, abandoned, neglected and have nowhere else to go.
Shawn Nearman has adopted two dogs through the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Jail Dog program. He said adding Fern to the family was a no-brainer.
"She was set to be put down in 24 hours if she wasn't picked up," Nearman said. "She wouldn't even be here and I wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't. The program is amazing as far as what they’re able to do with all these dogs that come from pounds all over the place, and all of a sudden you have a dog that knows all the basic commands; is house trained.”
Before Fern found a new family, Jason Benson trained the Border Collie. Benson has spent the better part of a year in jail on drug charges, but through the Jail Dog program, he and the dogs are getting a second chance.
"These dogs have been in the worst situations you could imagine," Benson said. "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.”
Cpl. Cody Walker with the Sheriff's Office coordinates the program, which is run in partnership with the Society of Humane Friends in Lawrenceville. Walker said the dogs that participate come from all over Georgia. He said there are currently about 20 dogs in the program with 45 trainers.
“They are nonviolent offenders, and there’s a big screening process to enter the program," Walker said. "You take a negative situation, being incarcerated – that’s not a good thing. But it gives them an opportunity to focus on something positive, and you see the change when they’re in the program.”
Many of the trainers exit their jail cells with skills, patience and purpose. Walker said a couple of former inmates with the Jail Dog program now work at doggie daycares, while another owns their own business. One former inmate even runs an animal control department.
"You see that unconditional love, and if they’ve been through that, then I know that’s how I’m supposed to be living my life also,” Benson said. "I’ve learned to give out that love, to forgive, and forgive myself most of all. Everybody is capable of love and forgiveness. We’ve all made mistakes in our lives, some of us more so than others, but everybody’s in this program got another chance.”
Since the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Operation: Second Chance began in 2010, more than 1,300 dogs have been adopted. To learn more, click here.