Flooded Fulton animal shelter open again but still full

The Midtown Atlanta shelter operated by LifeLine Animal Project flooded Friday, forcing the evacuation of about 80 dogs.

More than 50 have returned, but LifeLine still needs long-term foster homes and more adoptions to relieve its packed shelters, said Tiki Artist, LifeLine public relations manager.

“We had about three inches of water in the building due to leaks in the roof and piping,” she said.

The inundation reduced the building’s usable space by a third, flooding part of the kennel area, Artist said.

LifeLine, the nonprofit organization that operates animal shelters for Fulton and DeKalb counties, put out a plea for temporary foster care to clear the shelter for repairs. They placed about 80 on Friday and Saturday, Artist said.

“We were able to get all of the animals out safely,” she said. “The repairs to the leaking roof are complete.”

But now most of those animals are back, although 25 were permanently adopted over the weekend, Artist said.

LifeLine operates “no-kill” shelters, euthanizing only animals that are very sick or have significant behavioral challenges that make them ineligible for adoption – or when they simply have no room left, no available foster homes, and no prospect of quick adoption.

Last week, LifeLine released its euthanasia report for June and July: 81 dogs in Fulton County and 28 in DeKalb so far.

Artist said no dogs were euthanized due to the weekend’s flooding but that shelters are at or near capacity. But the stress of a crowded, noisy kennel can overwhelm animals and cause them to deteriorate rapidly, according to LifeLine.

Fulton County’s main animal shelter was built for a maximum of 150 animals but routinely holds many more. LifeLine opened the Midtown shelter as an overflow facility; it can hold 90 to 100 dogs, Artist said.

Fulton County is building a new $40 million animal shelter with room for 367 dogs and 55 cats. It’s expected to open this fall.

The DeKalb County shelter was built for up to 450 animals.

For every two animals in a shelter there are about three in short-term foster homes. Fulton County animal control, operated by LifeLine, takes in about 7,000 animals a year, 80% of which are dogs.

Local adoption rates have dropped sharply since 2020, according to LifeLine.