DeKalb County reduced the euthanasia rate at its county shelter in September while adopting a record 227 pets out of the facility during the month.

The gains are part of an overhaul of the county’s animal services department, which includes hiring a private welfare group to run the shelter where more than 60 percent of animals taken annually fail to make it out alive.

LifeLine Animal Project, which took over shelter operations in July, reported a 23 percent euthanasia rate for September.

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Fans celebrate in the stands after Cape Verde defeated Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. (Cristiano Barbosa/AP)

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