Canine CellMates
Philanthropic Fundraising ServicesGeorgia, United States2-10 Employees
Canine CellMates is a small nonprofit based in Atlanta, Georgia, that runs a jail dog program with operations at Fulton County Jail and a dedicated Beyond the Bars facility. It provides a 10-week in-jail educational program in which selected inmates care for shelter dogs, pairing skill-building with animal training, and the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity under Second Leash on Life, Inc. The program offers a supportive environment for men affected by the criminal justice system, aiming to develop workforce readiness and social-emotional skills through interactions with dogs. It notes that participants often have multiple prior felonies and seeks to disrupt cycles of recidivism by addressing underlying social supports and training needs. A recent development is the 2022 launch of Beyond the Bars to expand the training program for Fulton County inmates.