BUNNELL, Fla. — Eleven puppies have moved into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility as part of a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office program aimed at helping inmates and shelter animals.
The puppies came from the Flagler Humane Society and are now part of the sheriff’s office’s Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment program, also known as SMART.
The in-custody treatment program is designed to help participating inmates address mental health and addiction challenges.
The sheriff’s office said seven male inmates in the program are caring for the puppies by feeding them, cleaning up after them and helping socialize them.
Sheriff’s officials said the daily care gives participants routine, responsibility and a sense of purpose.
The arrangement also helps the Flagler Humane Society by freeing up kennel space while the puppies are cared for and socialized before adoption.
“This is more than puppy love,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a news release. “Caring for another living thing teaches our inmates responsibility, patience and purpose, and those skills help our SMART participants turn their lives around.”
The sheriff’s office said participants in the women’s SMART program are also fostering seven orphaned kittens by bottle-feeding, socializing and caring for them around the clock.
The puppies will stay at the detention facility until they are ready for adoption.
Residents interested in adopting a puppy, kitten or other pet can visit the Flagler Humane Society’s website.
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