This weekend all adoptions of cats and dogs over 25 pounds will be free at Fulton and DeKalb County animal shelters.
As of Wednesday evening Fulton County’s main shelter held 330 dogs, 28 cats and a goat, said Tiki Artist, LifeLine public relations manager. The overflow location in Midtown Atlanta had almost 100 more dogs. That’s more than twice what those shelters were built to hold.
And more than 600 dogs were in DeKalb County shelter, Artist said. It was built for 450, and this summer LifeLine staff have had to euthanize some animals due to lack of space.
“We are still in crisis mode,” she said.
Free adoptions start Friday and run through Monday to round out the national Clear The Shelters campaign. Petco Love is sponsoring adoption fees from all four shelters operated by LifeLine Animal Project, which runs the Fulton and DeKalb shelters.
Adoptions include spay or neuter surgery, vaccination and microchipping — a $300 value, according to Fulton County.
Also on Saturday, National Dog Rescue Day, Petco will host adoptable shelter pets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at five of its Metro Atlanta locations: Alpharetta, Crabapple, East Cobb, Edgewood and Smyrna.
Local adoption rates have dropped sharply since 2020, according to LifeLine. For every two animals in a shelter there are about three in short-term foster homes. About 80% of the roughly 7,000 animals Fulton County takes in each year are dogs.
Animals ready for adoption or fostering in Fulton and DeKalb shelters can be seen at LifeLineAnimal.org. Donations to the shelters can also be accepted through the website.
To adopt or foster animals go to www.fultonanimalservices.com, www.dekalbanimalservices.com or www.lifelineanimal.org, or go to any of the following locations. No appointment is needed.
- Fulton County Animal Services, 860 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta
- LifeLine Animal Project Midtown, 981 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta
- Community Animal Center, 3180 Presidential Drive, Atlanta
- DeKalb County Animal Services, 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Chamblee
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