Atlanta Humane Society to open second shelter in Alpharetta

By Nedra Rhone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For the first time in its 138-year history, the Atlanta Humane Society will open a second location later this year.

The 32,000-square-foot facility on Mansell Road in Alpharetta will allow Atlanta's oldest private charity to adopt twice as many animals and hire about 50 people to staff it.

Funding for the $8 million-plus campus, which opens Dec. 2,  has come from low-interest loans and a $2.5 million gift from Anne Cox Chambers, a principal owner of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, which owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"The gift is really enabling in terms of making this adoption center a reality," said William Shaheen, who will take over as AHS president in December and is currently chairman of its board. "Our board, of which Mrs. Chambers is a member, has been very supportive of the Mansell Campus in spirit as well as financially." The AHS plans to name the adoption center in Mrs. Chambers' honor.

"I am so happy to be associated with this new center," said Mrs. Chambers, who has adopted three pets from the AHS. "Anything that encourages other Atlantans to discover the joys of pet adoption is very welcome indeed."

Located on the former site of the Cherokee Ford dealership at 1565 Mansell Road, the new facility will have four cat colony rooms, 32 puppy kennels and 78 large dog kennels.  The 7.3 acres will provide more green space than the AHS' location at 981 Howell Mill Road, enabling animals and potential families to comfortably interact outdoors.

Shaheen said the new location will allow the AHS to double the up to 6,000 adoptions and 8,000 spay and neuter procedures performed each year. The organization, which seeks to prevent abuse, cruelty and exploitation of animals, will also use the new campus to deploy its animal rescue teams and surgical utility vehicle, a mobile spay/neuter unit.

The decision to locate the new facility in north Fulton County was driven in part by the area's low level of adoptions -- less than 5 percent of the AHS total -- Shaheen said. In addition, residents in the area tend to have large yards, enabling them to adopt bigger dogs that may be harder to place.