Kittens being fostered by inmates at Florida jail
Some of the kittens at the Flagler County jail are so young they need to be bottle-fed.
Some kittens have found themselves in the slammer at the Flagler County jail in Bunnell, Florida.
But the juvie cats are doing time for a good cause. Inmates are fostering the kittens as part of a program to help the animals, the inmates and the Flagler Humane Society.
Fourteen kittens have been booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility in Bunnell, said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. The kittens are part of the sheriff’s office “nationally recognized Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment Program,” according to a news release.
The kittens stay in the jail until they do their time.
"They are inmates until they are released back to the humane society for adoption when they're ready for adoption," Staly said.
But some kittens have gotten written up.
"And we've had a couple little kittens that we've had to write disciplinary reports on because they were trying to escape by climbing the cage," Staly said.
The sheriff's office release states that the kittens build on the treatment program's “proven success in reducing re-arrest rates and enhancing the lives of those battling substance use so they can become successful residents.”
“Addiction often creates isolation and self-centered patterns,” Staly stated in the release. “Fostering kittens requires empathy, structure and consistency — qualities that support recovery and rehabilitation. It’s another tool we’re using to break the cycle of addiction and help inmates build healthier productive lives while also supporting the Flagler Humane Society while giving a kitten a home until they find a ‘furever’ home after being released from the Green Roof Inn.”
An inmate shared the suggestion during a talk with medical staff and the partnership with the Flagler Humane Society was born.
The humane society provides the kittens for the inmates who care for the young animals by feeding them and socializing with them.
Some of the kittens are so young they have to be bottle-fed.
The Flagler Humane Society covers the cost of the food for the kittens.
The kitten foster program is only available to female inmates. But male inmates will begin assisting the humane society with building projects for animals at the Palm Coast location.