Gwinnett kills fewer shelter animals
Euthanasia rates at Gwinnett County’s animal shelter have been plummeting for years – a trend that continued in the first half of 2016.
Through the first six months of this year, Gwinnett put down 275 animals – or 10.2 percent of the animals it impounded, according to Manager Curt Harrell, who briefed the Board of Commissioners Tuesday.
The rate has fallen each year since 2010, when the county euthanized nearly two-thirds of the animals it received.
In 2012, a citizen task force recommended numerous ways Gwinnett could reduce euthanasia and increase adoptions. Among other things, they suggested partnering with animal rescue groups and increased marketing of adoptable animals via social media.
Harrell said the county’s 2014 decision to stop accepting wild animals at the shelter also has contributed to the decline in euthanasia.
According to Harrell, 893 animals were adopted in the first six months of 2016 – up a third from the same period in 2015.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
