Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- At a graduation ceremony in Newnan on Thursday, Chris Hughes was as proud as a parent.

The graduate, though, stood on four legs and was more interested in treats than pomp and circumstance.

Pepper, a young Beagle-mix, became the first Gwinnett County shelter dog to graduate from a U.S. Department of Agriculture training program to sniff out fruits and meats at customs checkpoints.

"It was awesome. ... I felt like a very proud mom," said Hughes, an animal control officer who specializes in hard-to-place pets.

About a year ago, the U.S.D.A. training facility moved from Orlando, Fla., to Newnan, giving local canines a second chance.

At the shelter, Hughes said, Pepper never even got a name because officers did not want to get too close after she came in as a stray.

"She's a very sweet dog, but she's a very busy dog," Hughes said, adding that the dog had too much energy to sit in a potential owner's lap and bond. "She just didn't click with anybody."

When the dog's limited time at the shelter seemed like it would soon be up, Hughes called the U.S.D.A., which had already begun training a lab-mix whose owners had given her up.

"I had a really good feeling about her from the beginning," said U.S.D.A. training specialist Jenni Anderson.

Like many recent graduates, Pepper will soon leave for a new life in a new city. She has a job to do, sniffing for apples, mangos, pork and beef at Miami International Airport.

Two more of Gwinnett's shelter dogs are expected to graduate from a cargo training class next month, and another will be in the next class, Anderson said, adding that the U.S.D.A. program has always focused on shelter dogs to give the canines a last chance.

"It's a really good day," when a dog graduates, she said.