What are Jaildogs?
Operation Second Chance, also known as The Gwinnett Jaildog Program, started in February 2010 as a partnership between Sheriff Butch Conway and Dennis Kronenfeld with the Society of Humane Friends of Georgia, Inc. This program rescues dogs from county shelters, vets and trains them and then offers them for adoption to the public. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first program of its kind in a jail. The Sheriff and his staff provide day-to-day supervision, screen and select inmates for the unit. SOHFGA selects the dogs, provides all veterinary care and training and handles the application and screening process for potential adopters. No taxpayer dollars are spent as SOHFGA provides all financial support for the program.
Started initially with five dogs pulled from the euthanasia list at Gwinnett County Animal Control, The Jaildog Program now houses approximately 20 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 the dogs and ability to learn handling skills, but also provides continuity for the dog should one of its handlers leave the unit. Volunteer Trainers visit with the dogs and inmates each 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 at their skills. We also have groomers, veterinarians, vet techs, and other animal welfare volunteers 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 1500 dogs and cats have been rescued, vetted, trained, and adopted into new families. In addition to saving animals, the program also benefits 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 the life of an animal and it’s new family.
We are grateful for the positive feedback we have received from our inmate handlers and their families. We received this gracious letter from the mother of one of our handlers:
"I want to express my respect and adoration for the wonderful aspects of this Jail Dogs program. I would like to thank all the volunteers and the Sheriff's Department for their dedication to this program. This is a "win-win" situation for everyone involved. As a parent of an inmate, I find peace and comfort knowing my son has had the opportunity to be chosen and to benefit from participating. I would hope this model program is enacted in many states."
If you need further information, or would like to speak with someone, please email us at jaildogs@gmail.com.
Operation Second Chance, also known as The Gwinnett Jaildog Program, started in February 2010 as a partnership between Sheriff Butch Conway and Dennis Kronenfeld with the Society of Humane Friends of Georgia, Inc. This program rescues dogs from county shelters, vets and trains them and then offers them for adoption to the public. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first program of its kind in a jail. The Sheriff and his staff provide day-to-day supervision, screen and select inmates for the unit. SOHFGA selects the dogs, provides all veterinary care and training and handles the application and screening process for potential adopters. No taxpayer dollars are spent as SOHFGA provides all financial support for the program.
Started initially with five dogs pulled from the euthanasia list at Gwinnett County Animal Control, The Jaildog Program now houses approximately 20 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 the dogs and ability to learn handling skills, but also provides continuity for the dog should one of its handlers leave the unit. Volunteer Trainers visit with the dogs and inmates each 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 at their skills. We also have groomers, veterinarians, vet techs, and other animal welfare volunteers 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 1500 dogs and cats have been rescued, vetted, trained, and adopted into new families. In addition to saving animals, the program also benefits 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 the life of an animal and it’s new family.
We are grateful for the positive feedback we have received from our inmate handlers and their families. We received this gracious letter from the mother of one of our handlers:
"I want to express my respect and adoration for the wonderful aspects of this Jail Dogs program. I would like to thank all the volunteers and the Sheriff's Department for their dedication to this program. This is a "win-win" situation for everyone involved. As a parent of an inmate, I find peace and comfort knowing my son has had the opportunity to be chosen and to benefit from participating. I would hope this model program is enacted in many states."
If you need further information, or would like to speak with someone, please email us at jaildogs@gmail.com.