For dogs who have a hard time with loud noises like thunder or fireworks, Independence Day is a time of high anxiety. This is especially true of shelter dogs who have been through quite a lot in their lives and have to spend the night in the shelter without a person comforting them during the scary noises.

In Brevard County, Florida, they’ve come up with a great solution. Inmates on the chain gang or work release will be spending the peak firework hours of the 4th of July with the animals playing with, reading to, and feeding them treats.

They announced this on their Facebook page after a flood of citizens volunteered to come in to comfort the pups.

https://www.facebook.com/BrevardCountySheriff/photos/a.351955938220500/2236637019752373/?type=3&theater

As you can see from the comments on that Facebook post, the people of Brevard County are thrilled about the program. It is well documented that programs that pair prisoners with difficult-to-adopt animals benefit both groups, and this promises to be an evening in which the inmates and dogs can help each other and make the community a better place.