Jail Dogs Program ending at Gwinnett County Jail during 'massive reconstruction'

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A longstanding partnership between the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and a local ANIMAL rescue group is coming to an end after officials suspended a beloved program that turned rescue dogs into therapy dogs for inmates. 

At a news conference Monday, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office officials said the move is part of a massive reconstruction overhaul of the facility and pointed to a growing number of inmates inside the county jail dealing with mental and physical health issues.

"We’ve seen a stark increase in inmates that are needing assisted medical care for detoxing from alcohol as well as opioid addiction," Chief Cleo Atwater said.

The sheriff's office says that of the 2,250 inmates that are currently housed at the jail, 25% require specialized treatment for long-term medical conditions, ambulatory limitations, suicidal ideations, opioid and alcohol addiction, and more.

Gwinnett County Jail

Atwater told reporters the staggering numbers left the sheriff’s office with a difficult choice to make in ending the Jail Dogs Program that’s been operating for more than a decade, helping train hundreds of animals for adoption.

"Where the Jail Dogs Program is housed is located directly across from our in-facility hospital. Seconds count for response, so we need to make sure that they’re close to our first responders," Atwater said. "We see huge value in it. However, we have to suspend it temporarily."

The Jail Dogs Program began in 2010 as a partnership between the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Society of Humane Friends. Since its launch, the program has helped adopt approximately 1,500 cats and dogs from shelters, as well as provided numerous inmates with vocational skills they can use once released from custody. The Sheriff’s Office says it is proud of the success of this program and has tremendous appreciation for the countless volunteers and employees, as well as citizens who have supported this initiative for more than a decade.

Officials with the Society of Humane Friends, the group that’s been running the program, called it a huge loss to the community.

In a statement posted to Facebook, they said: "While we applaud what they look to do as far as the expansion of better mental health provisions for the inmate population, it should be noted that our program also falls under inmate programs geared at the mental health of the inmates."

They said with no timeline on how long that temporary suspension will last, their focus now is on finding the four remaining dogs in the program a permanent home. 

If you are interested in adopting any of the remaining jail dogs: Kaiser, Nala, Rocky, and Tien, you can find more information about how to get in touch with the Humane Society by clicking here.

Both the rescue group and the sheriff’s office said those dogs are not in danger of being euthanized, but Society of Humane Friends officials said they have to be out of the jail by Dec. 15.