"Pups With a Purpose," a program that brings Forsyth County Animal Shelter dogs into the county jail to work with inmates, has been announced with a Facebook site posted by Forsyth Sheriff Ron Freeman's Office.

“Carefully selected inmates chosen for the program are trained to work with and train the dogs,” the sheriff’s office said. “Inmates and their dogs stick to a strict schedule as the dogs learn basic obedience while the inmates learn patience, compassion, and the valuable skill of dog training.”

Scot Rucker, of Rucker Dog Training, has volunteered to be lead trainer. Inmates are now working with an inaugural class of five canines.

Dogs that complete the training will be available for adoption. In the future, the program also will try to incorporate comfort dog training to provide comfort dogs to other agencies and persons with post traumatic stress disorder, officials said. Information: https://bit.ly/31Kl3LC

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People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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