Fulton and DeKalb County animal shelters remain over capacity with twice the number of dogs fitting into the available space. Free pet adoptions for dogs and cats will take place Friday through Monday to help ease overcrowding.
LifeLine Animal Project, which manages animal services for the counties, is hoping to adopt out at least 200 dogs over the four-day period, Chief Marketing Officer Heather Friedman said.
Before the pandemic, the shelters housed fewer dogs during the winter months, Friedman said. In DeKalb, the shelter which would normally be at capacity with about 200 dogs had a total of 478 dogs on Tuesday, she added.
Friedman estimates up to 60 dogs in total are brought into the shelters each week.
A $300,000 grant provided by the nonprofit Petco Love will help fund the adoptions. The adopted pets will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.
The adoption event marks the 20th anniversary of LifeLine and the nonprofit’s work to end euthanasia of pets. LifeLine began managing Fulton and DeKalb County animals services in 2013.
“These are extraordinarily difficult times,” said LifeLine CEO and Founder Rebecca Guinn said in the statement. “We have always been committed to saving every healthy and treatable animal, and today the challenge is even greater. Only with the help of our community will we be able to keep Atlanta a lifesaving city.”
In addition to adoptions, LifeLine is asking the public to consider fostering dogs housed at the shelters and to take an active part in helping stray dogs in neighborhoods reunite with owners. More information is available at LifeLineAnimal.org/foster.
“Put something on Nextdoor (social media site),” Friedman said. “Put up flyers, check with neighbors. Most pets are usually found a mile from their home.”
Visit LifeLineAnimal.org/adopt for more information on adoptions and to view available animals.
Credit: Courtesy Lifeline Animal Project
Credit: Courtesy Lifeline Animal Project
