Whimsical Insight: Charity Spotlight

Operation Second Chance, or Jail Dogs, started in February 2010 as a partnership between Sheriff Butch Conway and the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department and Society of Humane Friends of Georgia. The program saves dogs from Gwinnett County Animal Control, vets and trains them, and offers them for adoption. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first program of its kind in a jail. Most programs like this are in prisons, where the inmates are there for a long-term, known period of time. Inmates at Gwinnett's Detention Center are there often for short periods of time, with much inmate turnover on unit, which offers some unique challenges and opportunities. The Sheriff and his staff provide the unit and supervision, screen and select inmates for the unit, and welcome potential adopters into the unit to visit or adopt dogs. SOHFGA provides all financial support for the program (no taxpayer dollars are spent), selects the dogs, handles the application and screening process for potential adopters, and supports the volunteer efforts by the trainers and others.

Started initially with five dogs pulled from the euthanasia line at Gwinnett County Animal Control, Jail Dogs now houses over fifteen dogs at a time. Upon arrival at the unit, each dog is assigned a primary inmate handler, in whose room the dog sleeps, plus either one or two secondary handlers. This not only gives more inmates access to dogs and ability to learn handling skills, but also provides continuity for the dog should one of its handlers leave the unit. Trainers visit with the dogs and inmates three times a week, teaching the inmates how to train and care for the dogs. Basic obedience, tricks, and agility are all taught to the dogs and many have become quite adept! We also have groomers, vet techs, and other animal welfare volunteers and professionals visit the unit to educate the inmates on different issues surrounding the dogs, their care, and ways to reduce pet overpopulation.

Since the program's founding, over 150 dogs have been rescued, vetted, trained, and adopted into new families. In addition to saving dogs, we're also benefiting the inmates, giving them new skills in dog training and handling, as well as learning to care for something other than themselves and the knowledge that they have made a positive difference in a dog's life.

For more information please visit: JAILDOGS.org