A swath of Fulton County’s new, $40 million animal shelter needs new interior paint because the original coat is bubbling up.
Shelter officials say dogs and staff must stay away from affected areas during renovation for safety reasons. The renovation will be done in stages, with affected areas remaining empty for 10 days at a time. The project should be completed by June at the latest, according to Fulton County officials.
The facility opened to the public in December.
LifeLine Animal Project, which runs the shelter, has asked volunteers to foster dogs while the work is underway. About 30 animals will be impacted when each section is repainted, according to a press release.
A Fulton County spokeswoman said the bubbling is an issue in seven areas of the kennel spaces. The full facility is 50,000 square feet.
“While there is no indication that the paint is of danger to animals or people, it is important to address this issue to ensure that the paint is properly applied to provide a protective barrier to the kennel run walls,” Fulton spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez said in an email.
The county used paints that are approved for use in animal shelters, which have unique needs because stressed dogs often lick kennel walls.
But the issue is not related to the paint itself, Corbitt-Dominguez said. The bubbling was likely caused due to moisture during the painting process. It’s under warranty so there won’t be an additional cost to the county.
Still, repainting will be logistically complicated in an occupied facility. Because of the fumes, it’s not safe for dogs or people to be around.
The work will start next week and could be completed ahead of schedule, Corbitt-Dominguez said.
LifeLine wants to find short-term foster homes for 30 dogs before the work begins.
“We will also be rotating animals around the shelter, but with the shelter already full and more dogs arriving each day, we must find foster homes for these pets so we do not run out of space,” LifeLine officials wrote on Facebook.
The shelter was built to hold 376 dogs but is over capacity, like other areas shelters. Fulton and DeKalb’s shelters, both of which are run by LifeLine, have been euthanizing healthy dogs for space for several months.
Foster or adopt
Apply to foster or adopt a dog from Fulton County by visiting www.fultonanimalservices.com or www.lifelineanimal.org or by visiting the shelter at 860 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta. Adoption fees are waived through March 24. After that, they’re $40 until the end of the month. The fees cover spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchipping.
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