Local law enforcement agencies were alerted to the escape, and the U.S. Marshals Service is also involved in the search for the 3 DeKalb County inmates.
Georgia Military College student and football player Izaiah Taylor, who had been a standout at South Gwinnett High School, was home for the holidays when the fire ignited.
The expansion of the shelter in Chamblee consists of 10 climate-controlled kennel buildings, each with indoor and outdoor access and each designed to house a dozen dogs.
The Monday morning incident is among a string of recent metro Atlanta fires that have left five people dead, injured others and displaced dozens, officials say.