FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Pups with Purpose, a program from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office that pairs puppies with inmates, just started a new class at the Forsyth County jail.
Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach was in Forsyth County to show how the program works.
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For the next few weeks, female inmates will get a type of training designed to help them and the animals.
If you look outside the housing pod for female inmates at the Forsyth County jail, you may see some dogs in a dog run. That’s part of the program, not only to give the dogs a sense of purpose, but also people.
The new class of three puppies, all around four months old, include a German shepherd named Maggie, and pointer mix puppies named Rae and Louie.
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They live inside the Forsyth County jail with their trainers, who are inmates that are part of the residential substance abuse treatment program.
“We’re teaching a livable, workable skill as well, so what a great win-win-win,” Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said.
The dogs and inmates will spend the next eight to nine weeks together.
The sheriff started Pups with Purpose three years ago, so far rescuing and adopting 84 dogs, including 10 now trained as therapy dogs.
“They’re in DA’s offices, hospitals, schools, and 911 centers. My dog right here is one of our therapy dogs,” Freeman said.
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Marley the labradoodle is a graduate and ambassador for the program, and one of the 26 inmates to graduate is now back working as a trainer.
“I was a little nervous because I was kind of afraid of dogs, so (it was) a little weird. But (I was) sitting in jail and thought it would give me something to do,” program graduate Rebeca Resendiz said.
Since getting released from jail early this year, Resendiz turned her life around. She now has a job, a place to live and regained full custody of her son.
“The dogs help and give me a purpose in life, gave me direction and skills,” Resendiz said.
She was hired by Scott Rucker with Rucker Dog Training, who helps train all the dogs and teach the inmates.
His mission may be rescuing these pups, but it’s not the most rewarding part.
“The dogs are great, don’t get me wrong, deal(ing) with dogs every day, but seeing these people grow and stay out of here and get to live a normal life too,” Rucker said.
This new class of pups are slated to become therapy dogs, which takes dedicated owners, continued training and certification beyond the jail.
To find out more about the adoption process, click here.
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