A New Leash on Life: FCSO’s SMART Program Welcomes 11 Puppies to Jail

BUNNELL, Fla. — The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office rolled out the red carpet and several puppy pads yesterday, welcoming an entire litter of puppies from the Flagler Humane Society into its nationally recognized Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment (SMART) program at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.

The 11 puppies have a new pack of seven handlers: male SMART Program inmates who are learning that a little puppy love goes a long way. In a short time, we have found a paws-itively perfect match where everybody walks away with wagging tails.

SMART is an in-custody, evidence-based treatment program designed to help participating inmates work through mental health and addiction challenges. The program has earned national recognition for its innovative approach, which pair’s structure, accountability and hard work with the simple, steady companionship of animals who do not care about your past.

For the men in the program, caring for 11 wiggly, hungry, occasionally mischievous puppies means feeding schedules, cleanup duty and practicing patience — the same daily routine, responsibility, and sense of purpose that research shows are key ingredients in lasting recovery. Every dog has its day, and so does every person willing to do the work. In the SMART program, nobody is treated like the underdog.

The arrangement is a win for the Flagler Humane Society, too. Housing the litter at the detention facility frees up kennel space at the shelter and sends the puppies back into the adoption pipeline well-fed, well-socialized, and ready to fetch their furever homes.

This is not the first time male SMART program inmates have rolled up their sleeves for the Flagler Humane Society. The men’s program recently designed and constructed four large dog shelters, standing 12 feet tall and measuring 12 feet by 12 feet wide, to give shelter dogs shade and a safe, comfortable place to play while their kennels are cleaned.

Inside the women’s program, participants in the female SMART Program are currently fostering seven orphaned kittens. Inmates bottle-feed, socialize and care for kittens around the clock. The kitten-fostering initiative has become one of the program’s most beloved features. We believe this initiative will work even better when it is raining both cats and dogs!

“These puppies went from homeless to having seven personal trainers overnight, that’s no ruff deal,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “But make no mistake; this is more than puppy love. Caring for another living thing teaches our inmates responsibility, patience and purpose, and those skills help our SMART participants turn their lives around. It’s a win for the inmates, a win for the Humane Society, and a win for the puppies. That’s about as good as it gets at the Green Roof Inn.”

The puppies will be raised by inmates, three squares and a crate, until they are up for Puprol (adoption). Residents interested in adopting a puppy, kitten or pet of their own are encouraged to visit flaglerhumanesociety.org.