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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Dunwoody Nature Center Butterfly Experience Dog Adoption Event
DTSTART:20260905T181500Z
DTEND:20260905T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260903T001557Z
UID:38049-1788617700-1788624000@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T001557Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/dunwoody-nature-center-butt
 erfly-experience-dog-adoption-event/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Take 'Em Home Tuesday at LifeLine Animal Project
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260908
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260909
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:34300-1788825600-1788911999@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
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 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/take-em-home-tuesday-at-lif
 eline-animal-project/2026-09-08/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mobile Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260909T140000Z
DTEND:20260909T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37636-1788948000-1788962400@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
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 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
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 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/mobile-vaccine-clinic-2026-
 06-24/2026-09-09/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Community Animal Center Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260912T130000Z
DTEND:20260912T160000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:36685-1789203600-1789214400@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
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 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:LifeLine Community Animal Center\, 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atla
 nta\, GA\, 30340\, United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/community-animal-center-vac
 cine-clinic-2/2026-09-12/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:PetSmart (Alpharetta) Dog Adoption Event
DTSTART:20260912T180000Z
DTEND:20260912T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:33955-1789221600-1789228800@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:PetSmart Alpharetta\, 6370 North Point Pkwy\, Alpharetta\, 30022\
 , United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/petsmart-alpharetta-dog-ado
 ption-event-3/2026-09-12/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Pet Supplies Plus (Buford) Dog Adoption Event
DTSTART:20260913T170000Z
DTEND:20260913T190000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:33957-1789304400-1789311600@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
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 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:Pet Supplies Plus – Buford\, 3280 Hamilton Mill Rd Suite 306\, 
 Buford\, GA\, 30519\, United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/pet-supplies-plus-buford-do
 g-adoption-event-4/2026-09-13/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Take 'Em Home Tuesday at LifeLine Animal Project
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260915
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260916
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:34301-1789430400-1789516799@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/take-em-home-tuesday-at-lif
 eline-animal-project/2026-09-15/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mobile Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260916T140000Z
DTEND:20260916T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37637-1789552800-1789567200@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
 				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n			
 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/mobile-vaccine-clinic-2026-
 06-24/2026-09-16/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mobile Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260917T140000Z
DTEND:20260917T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37638-1789639200-1789653600@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
 				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n			
 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/mobile-vaccine-clinic-2026-
 06-24/2026-09-17/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:College Park Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260919T140000Z
DTEND:20260919T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:36701-1789812000-1789822800@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
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 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:LifeLine College Park Spay & Neuter Clinic\, 2533 Sullivan Road\,
  College Park\, GA\, 30037\, United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/college-park-vaccine-clinic
 /2026-09-19/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mobile Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260919T140000Z
DTEND:20260919T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37639-1789812000-1789826400@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
 				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n			
 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/mobile-vaccine-clinic-2026-
 06-24/2026-09-19/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Take 'Em Home Tuesday at LifeLine Animal Project
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260922
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260923
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:34302-1790035200-1790121599@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
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 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/take-em-home-tuesday-at-lif
 eline-animal-project/2026-09-22/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mobile Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260923T140000Z
DTEND:20260923T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37640-1790157600-1790172000@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/mobile-vaccine-clinic-2026-
 06-24/2026-09-23/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Pet Food Bank at DeKalb County Animal Services
DTSTART:20260925T160000Z
DTEND:20260925T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:34051-1790337600-1790344800@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:DeKalb County Animal Services\, 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd\, Chamb
 lee\, GA\, 30341\, United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/dekalb-county-animal-servic
 es-food-bank/2026-09-25/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Community Animal Center Vaccine Clinic
DTSTART:20260926T130000Z
DTEND:20260926T160000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:36686-1790413200-1790424000@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
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 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
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 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
LOCATION:LifeLine Community Animal Center\, 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atla
 nta\, GA\, 30340\, United States
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/community-animal-center-vac
 cine-clinic-2/2026-09-26/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Super Adopt-a-thon
DTSTART:20260926T140000Z
DTEND:20260926T190000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:37755-1790416800-1790434800@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
 				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n			
 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
 		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/super-adopt-a-thon/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Take 'Em Home Tuesday at LifeLine Animal Project
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260929
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260930
DTSTAMP:20260901T061439Z
UID:34303-1790640000-1790726399@lifelineanimal.org
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:Our goal with this page is to share the current shelter needs 
 with our community in an ongoing way. We hope to update this page seasonal
 ly or more frequently as needed. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n				
 		\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				May 2024				\n						\n		\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, we reached a pivotal break
 ing point in terms of the number of animals housed in our care. We recogni
 zed the physical capacity limitations of our buildings and made a commitme
 nt to work towards humane housing solutions\, which means both the county 
 shelters need to reduce the number of animals living in the buildings. Whi
 le we continue to face severe overcrowding into 2024\, we have worked hard
  to increase resources to help more pet owners and improve the quality of 
 life for the animals in our care. We are continuing to adapt to the challe
 nges we’re facing\, including many systemic problems that contribute to 
 the number of animals arriving in our care. We have collaborated with many
  supportive community members and leaders in pursuit of creating a safer a
 nd more humane shelter environment for all. There are no overnight solutio
 ns to drastically reduce our shelter populations\, but we continue to have
  hope that with your support and the strategies currently in place\, our c
 ommunity will help us get more animals into homes where they belong. Here 
 is a brief update for all three LifeLine shelters\, including the unique c
 hallenges and the most important ways you can get involved. 								\n				
 \n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal ServicesDog Population: 506 | Opti
 mum Capacity: 475				\n				\n				\n				\n									Last year\, DeKalb Count
 y Animal Services reached peak numbers of dogs housed in the shelter durin
 g an outbreak of Canine Flu.. Because of an incredible response from our c
 ommunity\, we successfully saw the population drop down to 312 dogs. Becau
 se the need in our community is so great\, this number steadily rose back 
 up to 500+ dogs and has remained in that range for months on end despite o
 ur best efforts. It is a near constant struggle to balance the amount of 
 “noses in”\, pets arriving at the shelter\, with the amount of “nose
 s out” each week\, pets leaving. As an open intake municipal facility\, 
 we do not turn away animals in need in Dekalb County\, no matter how much 
 or little space we have in our kennels when we begin a new day. It is impo
 rtant that the community understands this distinction from other rescue or
 ganizations and is aware of ways they can help prevent lost or stray pets 
 from ever having to enter the shelter. We need to create room for pets tha
 t have the most urgent need for our help. We must find a way to help more 
 animals find homes and keep the shelter at a capacity that is humane for t
 he pets in our care. Heartbreaking space euthanasia decisions must be made
  weekly and overcrowding is putting more dogs at risk. Instead of focusing
  our at-risk dogs\, we are asking our community to focus efforts and resou
 rces on getting more of our highly-adoptable dogs out so that those animal
 s identified as most at risk (struggling in the shelter and exhibiting a v
 ariety of challenging behaviors) can get the time that they need to find a
  home. Any animal that leaves the building will help us reach our target o
 f decreasing the dog population to below a threshold of 475. This new proc
 ess includes daily population updates on the website and improved communic
 ations with our volunteers and community about how to best support dogs in
  need in our shelters. Even still\, 475 dogs housed in the building is les
 s than ideal. This is an incredible number of pets to care for daily. Whil
 e their basic needs are met\, quality of life deteriorates the longer they
  are housed in a shelter intended to be a temporary safety net. The lower 
 we can keep that number\, the less dogs there will be at risk for illness\
 , increased stress and euthanasia. In addition to these adjustments in com
 municating the ongoing need\, we have partnered with DeKalb County leaders
  on both short and long-term solutions that were announced last fall to he
 lp more pets in need: Increased funding for support to pets of DeKalb Coun
 ty residents including:A free monthly pet food bankFree spay/neuter surger
 ies through SNIP DeKalbFree vaccinations through LifeLine’s Mobile Clini
 cAdditional kennel space to provide more humane housing for the dogs curre
 ntly in our care:Plans have been approved to build new\, additional kennel
 s which will provide better housing for court case dogs who are in our car
 e long termProjected installation is September 2024We believe programs lik
 e these that make pet resources more accessible\, including affordable spa
 y/neuter surgery\, are the key to helping more pets stay out of the shelte
 rs and in homes where they belong. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton
  County Animal ServicesDog Population: 419 | Optimum Capacity: 325				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n								
 	At the end of 2023\, we celebrated the grand opening of a brand new 40\,0
 00 square foot shelter facility in Fulton County! With the opening of the 
 new building\, we’ve fortunately seen improvement in all of these ways t
 o create a better environment for the teams and the animals as well as a b
 etter experience for visitors and supporters: Staff is less stressed. We h
 ave improved our ability to train\, onboard and implement new and efficien
 t processes.The building is easier to clean and has decreased the spread o
 f infectious disease.With separate kennel runs\, animals are less stressed
  or overwhelmed in the building and do not experience as high of stimulati
 on. It’s now easier to identify issues with dogs so we can work on getti
 ng them placed in a home more quickly.Visitors feel more welcome and have 
 the ability to more easily spend time with individual animals. We have als
 o been able to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries for our adopta
 ble animals and provide adopters\, fosters and rescue partners with better
  diagnostics for their pets with the new clinic.We have seen an increase i
 n the number of volunteers and hours spent with our team.We are able to ho
 st other shelters and bring more learning and collaborative opportunities 
 to staff in-houseAt the same time\, we experienced a challenging transitio
 n as we worked to close the former facility\, adjust to the new set up\, a
 nd final projects and installations were wrapped up by the county. With th
 e new opening\, there was an uptick of stray or abandoned pets being broug
 ht to the new shelter. The shelter is a safe haven\, but can only be so te
 mporarily for pets in need of homes\, and we’ve seen the dog population 
 quickly fill the building past its limits. Similarly to DeKalb County\, it
  has been difficult to balance the new intakes with finding outcomes for t
 he animals\, even in the wake of creative and successful adoption events. 
 According to Animal Shelters Count’s recent annual report\, “In 2023\,
  3% more dogs entered shelters than left\, resulting in an additional 107\
 ,000 dogs in shelters at the end the year.” Fulton County Animal Service
 s is also an open intake municipal shelter facility and can’t simply “
 stop” taking new animals in even when we’re overcapacity. Fortunately\
 , we’ve also started 2024 with recent pawsitive media and exciting opera
 tional updates. The full-service clinic at Fulton County Animal Services i
 s now open for the public to make low-cost wellness appointments for their
  pets to receive the care they need! Additionally\, a Fulton County foster
  dog\, a pit mix now known as Miss Peaches\, has gone viral after being ad
 opted by celebrity and President of Barstool Sports\, Dave Portnoy. Miss P
 eaches’s story\, Dave’s choice to adopt and his initiative to raise fu
 nds for animal rescue has captured hearts nationwide. Lifesaving deserves 
 to be trending so that we can keep up with the influx of dogs in need. We 
 hope others will follow in his footsteps!  								\n				\n				\n				\n		
 			LifeLine Community Animal CenterDog Population: 119 | Optimum Capacity:
  80				\n				\n				\n				\n									The incredible dedication of the team 
 at our LifeLine Community Animal Center cannot be overlooked. Our county s
 helter facilities tend to take the spotlight in the news and on social med
 ia because of the massive number of pets that come through their doors\, b
 ut the Community Animal Center is always working quietly in the background
  to help the county operations. When the county shelters are over capacity
 \, so is this facility to keep up with the need. Not only do they consiste
 ntly take in pets from our county shelters and other rural facilities\, bu
 t\, when there is a neglect or hoarding case being investigated\, this loc
 ation takes in dozens of pets when they have nowhere else to go. As we ent
 er the warmer months of summer\, the Community Animal Center is also const
 antly preparing to help with the large numbers of kittens and puppies that
  are in need. Maintaining a full staff at this location is critical to its
  function. If you’re interested in joining our team full-time\, or even 
 as a volunteer\, our Community Animal Center would love to have you! 					
 			\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				A National Crisis				\n				\n				\n				\n									In conversations wit
 h other rescue organizations and in a review of data over the past few yea
 rs\, we’ve learned that these challenges are not unique to LifeLine or t
 he city of Atlanta. For the fourth year in a row\, we are faced with a “
 new normal” in animal sheltering. According to the report\, “A total o
 f 900\,000 animals have entered and lingered in our nation’s shelters an
 d rescues since January 2021. This surplus is on top of the population alr
 eady residing within organizations\, resulting in an ongoing capacity cris
 is.” “The number of animals entering shelters through community intake
 s in 2023 remained roughly the same as 2022 at 6.5 million\, with intakes 
 nearly evenly split between dogs and cats.” Compared to a national decre
 ase of 3.2% in intakes between 2019 and 2023\, our community intakes throu
 gh the Fulton and DeKalb County shelters decreased 6.89% from 2019 to 2023
 . But\, intakes increased by 14.5% from 2022 to 2023. Even in the wake of 
 these higher intake numbers\, we have been able to rally our community and
  find an incredible number of homes in 2023 compared to previous years. 
 “While 2.2 million dogs were adopted in 2023\, dog adoptions are still 5
 % lower than in 2019 (-108\,000 dogs adopted).” At LifeLine\, our overal
 l pet adoptions were only down by 1.92% in 2023 compared to 2019\, and ado
 ptions were higher in 2023 compared to 2018\, 2020\, 2021 and 2022. We are
  frequently partnering with more organizations who want to help and who ar
 e spreading the word that adopting is the way to go when searching for a n
 ew pet. For full shelter statistics across our organization\, please visit
  www.shelteranimalscount.org/stats. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					In Su
 mmary				\n				\n				\n				\n									The animals in our city need help. W
 hile donations are the foundation for our work in the community and allow 
 us to help more pets get the care they need\, donations don’t create mor
 e available kennel space. We need your help in getting more pets adopted o
 r fostered. We need the community’s help in getting more lost pets back 
 home. We need our community to know about available resources for food\, v
 eterinary care\, and affordable spay/neuter options. Together\, we can sav
 e these lives and help the animals who need us most. 								\n				\n				\
 n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				Octob
 er 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					A Message To Our C
 ommunity				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are in the midst of an ongoing
  crisis affecting city and county animal shelters across the country. Time
 s are extremely difficult for the animals housed in our shelters and the s
 taff and volunteers who care for them. We have frequently reported on the 
 conditions of our shelters and how desperate we are to get hundreds of ani
 mals into homes. We hear the distress and complaints about the overcrowdin
 g from our volunteers\, fosters\, and community\; we experience the condit
 ions daily\; we see the news articles written and segments being broadcast
  on television and radio\; we feel and share your frustration and heartbre
 ak. We are heartbroken\, too. Let us express to you in no uncertain terms:
  the current conditions in our shelters are not humane or sustainable. We 
 can and we must do better. We will exhaust all efforts to prioritize the h
 ealth and safety of both pets and people in our care. The balance of human
 ely sheltering a growing number of animals while giving each one the care 
 and the time they deserve to be placed in a loving home is getting substan
 tially harder to achieve. The issues contributing to overcrowding primaril
 y are rooted in the community\, not the shelter\, and cannot be changed ov
 ernight. In the shelters\, we’ve reached a pivotal breaking point. We ha
 ve stretched the shelter capacity and resources to unsustainable limits wh
 ile hoping\, for too long now\, that there would be a turning point where 
 more animals would leave these buildings than enter. But that has not happ
 ened this year and without homes to go to\, we must euthanize more dogs at
  both county shelters in order to reach and maintain safe and humane housi
 ng. There are many facets to the challenges we are currently facing and we
  will cover some of them in this blog. We also encourage you to check out 
 two other blog posts that go into deeper detail on two important issues: T
 he No-Kill controversyThe Impact of Spay and Neuter (and other pressing qu
 estions)								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n
 						\n				\n				\n				\n					Why Are The Shelters So Overcrowded?				\n	
 			\n				\n				\n									We know there are a lot of questions around why 
 this is happening. We are seeing a new reality\, a post-pandemic world\; E
 conomic challenges to families\, a lack of affordable and pet-friendly hou
 sing\, a national shortage of veterinarians\, a decrease in spay/neuter du
 ring the pandemic and a need for more accessible and affordable spay/neute
 r options\, a desire for specific breeds\, and a diminishing public capaci
 ty to help and home shelter animals are all taking a heartbreaking toll on
  the growing number of animals coming into LifeLine’s care. We have acce
 pted pets from families arriving at the shelter with all of their possessi
 ons in a U-haul and nowhere to turn for help. People newly arriving to the
  area are surrendering their dogs to the shelter because they are unable t
 o find affordable housing that will allow them to keep their companions.We
  are coming to terms with an untenable reality of the community relying on
  a singular shelter as the sole means of support for the growing number of
  animals at risk – animals who mostly were people’s pets and family me
 mbers at one time. Systemically\, the shelter alone cannot support the she
 er volume of need. Here Is A Look At Our Shelters In Crisis: 								\n			
 	\n				\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n	
 								Current Population of Dogs: 569Target Dog Capacity: 450 On Tuesday
 \, October 17th\, DeKalb County CEO\, Michael Thurmond\, visited DeKalb Co
 unty Animal Services. The following day\, he met with our CEO\, Rebecca Gu
 inn\, and other LifeLine leadership. Together\, LifeLine and DeKalb County
  leadership agreed that Dekalb County Animal Services must reduce the dog 
 population at the shelter to 450 in 60 days and maintain the population at
  or below that number. They collaborated and decided on both short- and lo
 nger-term actions to help aid in this crisis including: Working with staff
 ing agencies for additional staff and support for cleaning.Deploying perso
 nnel from other divisions within LifeLine to assist with animal care\, man
 agement and training and restructuring staff schedules to ensure greater c
 overage\, particularly on weekends.Sadly\, increasing euthanasia rates if 
 necessary and continuing to do so until we reduce the dog population to 45
 0 or less. If we cannot increase lifesaving outcomes beyond the current ra
 te\, we will have to euthanize 9 animals each day\, or 63 animals each wee
 k.Constructing an overflow campus adjacent to the shelter\, designed to ho
 ld up to 120 additional dogs above the current target capacity and provide
  effective isolation areas\, to help alleviate the need for euthanasia for
  population control. This solution will take time to build\, staff and ope
 rate and until then we must get below 450 animals in the current building.
 Improving communications between DeKalb County’s Animal Services Enforce
 ment division and the shelter to more proactively address factors in the f
 ield that are causing animals to come into the shelter.Increasing support 
 to fund access to veterinary care for DeKalb pet owners in need\, includin
 g subsidized and free spay/neuter\, and targeting areas of DeKalb County y
 ielding the highest number of animals impounded in the shelter.What it wil
 l take to change the situation most\, in the short-term\, is simply fewer 
 dogs in the building. We are asking our community to help us achieve those
  target dog population numbers because\, without homes to go to\, dogs wil
 l be euthanized for space\, regardless of health and temperment. Please a
 dopt or foster a pet today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Fulton County
  Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dog
 s: 357Sustainable Capacity for Dogs: 325 We’ve mentioned that there is h
 ope on the horizon in Fulton County in the form of a brand new shelter fac
 ility preparing to open before the end of the year. However\, this does no
 t change the fact that the current facility is in dire straits. On average
 \, 15 dogs are being euthanized for space each week. Each day\, 16 dogs en
 ter the facility. That’s\, on average\, 2 more dogs that come in than le
 ave. While some conditions will improve with the upcoming move to the new 
 facility\, rising intake and overcrowding will not be solved entirely by t
 ransitioning from one building to another. Fulton County is in desperate n
 eed of adopters and fosters\, including Friendly Finders who are willing t
 o foster a lost or stray dog through its mandated stray hold (3 to 5 busin
 ess days total) instead of immediately dropping them at the shelter when f
 ound. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLin
 e Midtown				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 105O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 75 As an overflow facility\, for every dog adopt
 ed at LifeLine Midtown\, space opens up for another dog from the Fulton Co
 unty Animal Services. And\, because the shelter is smaller\, it is a less 
 overwhelming experience for individuals to visit and bring home a pet. Ado
 pting a pet from LifeLine Midtown greatly supports the main Fulton County 
 shelter. When the new Fulton shelter opens\, the Midtown facility will clo
 se and any dogs still there will have to move to the new shelter. 								
 \n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					LifeLine Community Animal
  Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									Current Population of Dogs: 111 O
 ptimum Capacity for Dogs: 60  LifeLine’s Community Animal Center adopti
 on center was designed as an overflow facility for our county shelters. St
 aff and volunteers also provide pets with special medical or behavioral ch
 allenges more time and attention to meet those needs. For dogs\, the Commu
 nity Animal Center is the primary overflow facility for the DeKalb County 
 shelter. Because it is also full\, our Community Animal Center is limited 
 in serving these critical functions. Beyond just dogs\, our staff is also 
 caring for the majority of our organization’s cats. This adoption center
 \, like our Midtown location\, offers a calmer environment that may be eas
 ier to visit. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n	
 		\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n
 		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					We Cannot
  Do This Alone				\n				\n				\n				\n									Two things can be true: we 
 can be proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a community in 10 ye
 ars’ time AND acknowledge the ways LifeLine needs to improve and perseve
 re as an organization. We have committed ourselves to helping these animal
 s\, but we are limited now by a lack of space and resources\, as well as e
 xternal challenges in the communities we serve. We are also human and make
  mistakes. And\, most importantly\, we cannot do this alone. While we are 
 pursuing all avenues toward long-term solutions\, in the short term\, we n
 eed a miracle. We need you. We are asking our community to please foster o
 r adopt a pet today. You will be truly saving a life. If you have question
 s about any topic in this blog and would like to reach out\, please email 
 feedback@lifelineanimal.org or write to LifeLine Animal Project\, ATTN: Op
 erations 3180 Presidential Drive\, Atlanta\, GA 30340. Thank you\, Atlanta
 . For believing in our work and helping us save lives today and always. 		
 						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\
 n							\n				February 2023				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n			
 						Hello\, friends and supporters.  We wanted to share some critical u
 pdates and news as we turn the page on 2022\, and enter 2023 in a much bet
 ter position to give our deserving animals the love and space they need to
  thrive. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n	
 			\n									In January\, on the heels of a Canine Flu outbreak\, we were
  faced with a grim reality and life or death decisions. After more than a 
 year of being at critical capacity at our DeKalb County Animal Services sh
 elter\, we were left with the heartbreaking possibility of having to eutha
 nize animals for space. We had nearly 600 dogs in need of home (at just th
 is one shelter). We put out a plea for help in the Greater Atlanta area\, 
 and in a mere 7 days\, 373 dogs from DeKalb and 556 dogs from all LifeLine
  shelters found new homes! We are forever grateful to the Atlanta communit
 y for their support in our darkest hour. This is what lifesaving looks lik
 e. By the end of January\, our Fulton County Animal Services had fewer tha
 n 300 animals for the first time in almost a year. But within days of hitt
 ing that milestone\, we were called in with law enforcement on a rescue ca
 se and brought more than 60 new impounded animals safely into our care. Ea
 ch of these animals requires space\, food and immediate medical care. Our 
 Fulton shelter team was also tasked with running LifeLine Midtown\, our te
 mporary shelter that opened in early January during the Canine Flu outbrea
 k to divert intake and keep dogs healthy. While it helped contain that out
 break\, a new location strains precious resources and manpower\, which has
  been challenging due to staffing shortages. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				Number of Dogs in Need of Homes as of February 15th				\n				\n				\n	
 			\n							\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n							
 			DeKalb County Animal Services: 343 in the shelter and 928 in foster hom
 es\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n							
 						\n										Fulton County Animal Services: 339 in the shelter and 22
 0 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n						
 						\n													\n										LifeLine Community Animal Center: 65 in t
 he shelter and 85 in foster homes\n											\n									\n								\n					
 						\n\n												\n													\n										LifeLine Midtown: 82 in t
 he shelter\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n				\n						\n		
 			\n			\n						\n				\n									The LifeLine Community Animal Center con
 tinues to aid in the efforts of freeing up space at our county shelters an
 d helping dogs clear their quarantine period from the Canine Flu outbreak.
  Recent staffing hires have provided much needed relief to our existing te
 ams. After the incredible number of adoptions at our DeKalb shelter\, ther
 e are many animals in need of spay/neuter procedures. The Community Animal
  Center has stepped in to help temporarily house animals awaiting surgery 
 and ensure that pets don’t have to wait any longer than necessary to go 
 home with new\, loving families. Fortunately\, while the dogs in our care 
 have been a major media focus in 2023\, we have also happily seen a steady
  flow of cat adoptions at the Community Animal Center and have enough open
  cat housing space to prepare for a busy kitten season to start in the spr
 ing. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																	
 													\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									It’s bee
 n a busy start to the new year. And\, while we are celebrating the wins\, 
 the hard work isn’t over. Even though we successfully saved many lives\
 , 20-40 dogs come into our county shelters every single day and they need 
 your help to find their way home.  								\n				\n				\n				\n					What 
 We Need Most Now:				\n				\n				\n				\n									Volunteers and new staff
  are urgently needed to keep this much-needed LifeLine Midtown shelter up 
 and running\, as well as help at our other locations.We always need adopte
 rs and fosters to place more pets into homes where they belong.We need goo
 d Samaritans in our community to help lost pets make their way back home i
 nstead of to the shelter. Find out what to do if you should find a lost pe
 t.And\, if you can’t foster or adopt\, please consider making a donation
 .As always\, thank you for your critical support. 								\n				\n				\n		
 				\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					2022 Posts				\n				\n				\n				\n			
 				\n							\n											\n\n												\n													\n										Novem
 ber\n											\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n						
 							\n										September\n											\n									\n								\n										
 	\n\n												\n													\n										June\n											\n									\n
 								\n											\n\n												\n													\n										May\n					
 						\n									\n								\n											\n\n												\n													\n	
 									March\n											\n									\n						\n						\n				\n					\n		\n	
 				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n			
 				\n				November 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					AN
  URGENT PLEA FROM OUR CEO TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA\n				\n				\n				\n				\n
 							\n					\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n
 				\n				\n									The current situation in our Atlanta animal shelters 
 is dire. The animals in our care do not have the space they need\, or dese
 rve\, and we need your help. Our hard working teams are understaffed and w
 orking extreme overtime to ensure that kennels are clean\, bowls are full\
 , and the pets in our shelters are well cared for. Our volunteers walk hun
 dreds of dogs a day. And it’s still not enough. We have teams covering r
 escue\, adoptions\, marketing\, volunteers\, and foster parents\, all work
 ing tirelessly to find homes and other ways Atlanta’s pets can get out o
 f the shelter. This is not the life our city’s animals deserve. This sta
 te our shelters are in is not sustainable for the pets nor the people who 
 care for them. Animal shelters have never been\, and will never be\, the i
 deal solution for the animals. Atlanta\, we urgently need your help. Our a
 nimals are in desperate need of homes. Each of our shelters have exceeded 
 capacity by the hundreds. DeKalb County Animal Services has nearly 600 dog
 s and over 50 cats in the building\, Fulton County Animal Services has alm
 ost 400 dogs in a building meant to hold 80. The more pets in our care\, t
 he harder it is to make sure they are living as comfortably as they deserv
 e during their time with us. We are meant to be a temporary refuge for pet
 s in need\, not a home. Pets cannot thrive here\, especially when there is
  an overwhelming amount of them. We know you’ve heard this plea before. 
 And we hope you’ll hear it now. The situation is not improving. There ar
 e more animals in our care than ever and they really need your help. We ne
 ed your help. Adopt: Whether you’re looking for a calm couch potato\, wa
 lking partner\, or anything in between\, there are over 1\,000 deserving p
 ets waiting for you. Foster: If you have just two weeks to help a pet\, th
 at can make all of the difference. Sign up here.Donate: We need monetary d
 onations and supplies to continue caring for this many animals each day. Y
 ou can help by donating here or sending us much-needed items from our Amaz
 on wishlists. Help lost pets: Most pets are found within a mile of their h
 ome. If they come to a shelter\, their chances of being reunited greatly d
 eclines. If you find a pet\, follow these steps or become a friendly finde
 r. Spay/Neuter: Unlike humans\, dogs and cats give birth to 4-to-6 animals
  in one litter. Also\, dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up 
 to 5 times a year! Because they can produce so many offspring each year\, 
 it is important to spay/neuter your pet as soon as possible to reduce pet 
 overpopulation. Learn more here about the benefits and how to book an appo
 intment with one of our Spay/Neuter clinics. 								\n				\n				\n				\n	
 						\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				September 202
 2				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									We wish we had bette
 r news to share\, but right now\, the shelters are still struggling. There
  is a lot of pressure right now on the county shelters to be the lifeline 
 for more pets than the shelters have space to house. The reason for this o
 vercrowding is simple: more animals are coming in than are leaving. 						
 		\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							In August\, we saw a total of 601 dogs adopted\, but 863 came in du
 ring that same time. That’s 262 more dogs entering our already full buil
 dings.  \nNumber of dogs that need homes: \n\n337 dogs in need at our Ful
 ton County shelter\n526 dogs in need at our DeKalb County shelter\n81 dogs
  in need at our Community Animal Center\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n				\n				\n									The situation is dir
 e. We are urging our communities in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to please n
 ot bring healthy pets they find straight to the shelter as first response.
  Please take a few steps in the first 48 hours to get lost pets back home
  where they belong. This does not mean pets will be without support in the
  community. Those injured or sick are always a top priority. We’re tryin
 g to make more space for those most in need. And\, we are also trying to f
 ind solutions for humans in emergency situations who have run out of optio
 ns. Here are a few things anyone can do to help during this crisis: Adopt 
 a petFoster a pet. 200 emergency fosters are needed at our shelters right 
 nowDonate to support pets in the shelterCollect newspaper\, towels and bla
 nkets to drop off at any locationCheck the shelter wishlist for items most
  in needHelp a neighbor who can’t keep their pet find a new home – her
 e’s howFollow our social channels and help us get the word out by sharin
 g posts from your preferred platform\, Facebook\, Instagram and Twitter.Wr
 ite an article in your local neighborhood paper about adopting/fostering s
 helter petsIf you find a lost pet\, fill out a found pet report\, follow t
 hese steps or become a friendly finder								\n				\n				\n				\n							\
 n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				June 2022				\n					
 	\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					You are the next chapter in animal w
 elfare.				\n				\n				\n				\n									Animal shelters have never been\, 
 and will never be\, the ideal solution for the animals. They have always b
 een a flawed answer to a bigger community challenge of how to best help lo
 st\, stray and unwanted pets.  Across the nation\, all communities are fa
 cing the aftershocks of the pandemic. For animal shelters\, those challeng
 es include overpopulated and understaffed facilities\, higher intake and f
 ewer adopters\, and a substantial decrease in rescue transfer support. In 
 Atlanta\, we’ve had to restrict intake at varying levels due to the seve
 re overcapacity status at both county shelters.  But over the last few ye
 ars\, and through the recent challenges\, we’ve begun to see how a criti
 cal shift\, and a different path forward\, can actually save the lives of 
 the animals in our community without having animals languish in shelters. 
 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n									Over 60% 
 of the animals in a shelter are stray/lost pets. Imagine if the shelters d
 idn’t exist to collect all the lost and stray pets of a community. What 
 if the community itself was able to help those pets find and reunite with 
 their families?  63% of animals are found just a mile from their home (26
 % are just a block away). If neighbors could reunite pets with their famil
 ies\, instead of bringing them to the shelter\, our shelters would always 
 have space to help those with nowhere to go. 								\n				\n					\n		\n		
 		\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n		
 			\n		\n				\n				\n									What if the community could help struggling 
 neighbors rehome their pets instead of turning them over to a shelter? Wha
 t if more resources were spent on keeping pets and people together instead
  of housing pets in a crowded shelter? If we\, as a community\, could shif
 t the focus to support each other in creative and practical ways\, the she
 lters wouldn’t be overcrowded with lost pets missing their families\, or
  abandoned pets looking for new homes. There will always be a need for she
 lters to help animals in emergency situations and victims of animal cruelt
 y\, but the real safety net for pets is a caring community – neighbors h
 elping neighbors.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n									Especially now\, when the need continues to exceed available sh
 eltering resources\, we believe we must find more community-centric soluti
 ons by working together with pet-lovers and good samaritans to get more pe
 ts home where they belong.  LifeLine does not believe killing healthy and
  treatable pets to make more space in a shelter is ever the right answer. 
 Population management through euthanasia has never worked. Reliance on eut
 hanasia constrains the development of lifesaving solutions\, and the resul
 ts are always tragic. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n		
 							When faced with external pressure to euthanize healthy and treatabl
 e animals to create more shelter space last month\, we turned to our anima
 l-loving community and in one week found foster and adoptive homes for 300
 + pets. Atlanta\, you are the ideal solution. With your help\, we can weav
 e together a new safety net for the animals in need. Whether you are a vet
 eran rescuer or new to animal welfare\, help us shift the response when we
  find lost and stray pets\, so that more pets can be returned to their hom
 es. If you hear of situations where people need help with a found pet\, he
 lp them find options\, contact friends to find a foster home and help canv
 as the neighborhood to reunite families. Share this page.If you read about
  someone needing to rehome a pet\, share these resources and ask your neig
 hbors and friends if anyone can help. The pet owner\, rather than the shel
 ter\, will be able to find the best match for a loved pet. If someone is 
 missing a pet\, check the lost pet pages of our website to see if the pet 
 ended up at the shelter.If you can’t adopt\, foster. If you can’t fost
 er\, donate. If you can’t donate\, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer\,
  become an ambassador and share information and resources.								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n									Please continue to suppor
 t our county shelters. Know that the staff is making the best decisions fo
 r every individual animal and human who comes to our doors with the resour
 ces that are available.  \nPlease extend the benefit of the doubt to lear
 n more about decisions that are being made. The people who dedicate our li
 ves to help animals in the shelter are not perfect\, but we are doing thei
 r very best in every situation\, for every individual pet\, and we are wor
 king with very limited resources and the most challenging of circumstances
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									Right now\,
  we are at a pivotal moment to change the course of animal welfare and lif
 esaving in our city. Animals deserve to be in homes and people deserve the
  love of a pet. Will you join us in committing to turn to each other to fi
 nd ways to help the animals in your community? Are you in?  We are. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n
 					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		
 					\n				May 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n    
             \n                    \n                        \n            
                 \n                        \n                        \n    
                 \n                    \n                        Availabili
 ty ofkennel space\n                        \n                    \n       
          \n                \n                    Good amount\n            
         Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n
 				\n					Metro Atlanta County Animal Shelters are Out of Space!				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									The county shelters have reached peak capacity and
  no longer have kennel space to house dogs. Because of the sheer volume\, 
 we have had to set up temporary crates to house new arrivals but this is n
 ot a sustainable or acceptable solution.  This year we have seen a declin
 e in adoptions by 14% and a 37% decline in the number of animals leaving w
 ith rescue partners (compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels). We also saw a 
 decline in the number of lost pets finding their families again. Not only 
 are there more animals currently in the shelters\, but they are staying lo
 nger which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.  We URGENTLY need
  help to place our medium to large dogs into homes so that the shelters do
  not have to face difficult life or death decisions. We currently need to 
 find 250 homes for dogs living at the DeKalb shelter. The Fulton County an
 imal shelter is facing a similar situation and needs to find 150 homes thi
 s week.  Here’s what we are experiencing currently across metro Atlanta
 . 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					DeKalb Coun
 ty Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									Today\, there are 560 d
 ogs in our DeKalb facility*. In May 2019\, prior to the pandemic the shelt
 er held 440 dogs. Fewer animals are leaving the shelter\, and animals are 
 staying longer looking for homes. They’re waiting an average of 80 days 
 at DeKalb County Animal Services. Due to this critical status\, Dekalb Cou
 nty and LifeLine Animal Project\, in conjunction with the Georgia Departme
 nt of Agriculture\, are enacting emergency only intake protocols. This mea
 ns the DeKalb shelter is only able to accept animals from emergency situat
 ions or in critical need (injured animals\, animals involved in bite cases
  or cruelty situations). DeKalb County Animal Enforcement will also enforc
 e these emergency protocols and will only respond to high priority calls. 
 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																						
 								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n					\n		\n				\n				\n									*As of May 25\, 2022\, with the help of
  our community\, the number of dogs housed at DeKalb County Animal Service
 s has decreased to 433. We are making slow\, but steady\, progress towards
  reducing the number of pets housed at the shelter to a more comfortable t
 hreshold of 320. However\, the situation remains critical and your continu
 ed help is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 								\n				\n
 				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n		
 		\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n		
 		\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n						
 			There are currently 360  dogs in our Fulton facility**\, which was bui
 lt to house only 80 dogs. Dogs are waiting an average 40 days to be placed
  in a home\, which is longer than previous years and is very stressful for
  the animals. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n	
 		\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									**As of May 25\, 2022\, thanks 
 to our community’s help in response to an urgent plea for fosters and ad
 opters\, the number of dogs housed at Fulton County Animal Services has di
 pped below 300. Additionally\, a generous volunteer has pledged to sponsor
  100 dog adoptions this May at Fulton County. We always want to provide hu
 mane housing for the animals in our care and at the levels we are experien
 cing\, that is extremely challenging. Our community’s continued help at 
 this critical time is needed to find homes for the pets in our care. 					
 			\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal C
 enter				\n				\n				\n				\n									Our Community Animal Center takes in
  pets from our county shelters to help alleviate space constraints. Right 
 now\, the center is full and can only take in more dogs when dogs currentl
 y in our care are adopted or head to foster homes.  Last week\, 128 cats 
 arrived from our DeKalb and Fulton shelters. If you are looking for a cat\
 , there are many available at the LifeLine Community Animal Center. There 
 are also over 100 dogs available for adoption at this location.  								\
 n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\
 n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\
 n		\n				\n				\n					Let's save lives together.				\n				\n				\n				\n		
 							Please share this blog with your community and network to help more
  pets find the homes they deserve today. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					
 Ways to Help				\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n
 							\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n
 				\n							\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n							\n				March 
 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n                \n 
                    \n                        \n                           
  \n                        \n                        \n                   
  \n                    \n                        Availability ofkennel spa
 ce\n                        \n                    \n                \n    
             \n                    Good amount\n                    Dangero
 usly full\n                \n            				\n				\n				\n				\n					Crit
 ical Needs This Week: Adopters and Fosters 				\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		This February\, we saw the highest intake levels on record for the mont
 h since LifeLine took over shelter management in 2013. Both of our county 
 shelters are in the red zone for space availability!  As we continue to f
 ace a growing space crisis\, we turn our attention to the impact of crowdi
 ng and the shelter environment on the health of our pets. It is a common m
 isconception that pets may fare better in a shelter than in a home where t
 he pet parent has to leave daily for work or doesn’t have a yard. There 
 is no place like a home when it comes to animals. Even with the incredible
  support of our staff and volunteers\, it is impossible to replicate the c
 alm and one-on-one attention a pet will receive in a home. Shelters\, part
 icularly at the capacity level we currently face\, can be loud and overwhe
 lming for many pets. Though they are safe and fed\, the close proximity to
  so many other pets can lead to a spread in medical conditions. Ultimately
 \, we see a deterioration of our pets the longer they spend in the shelter
 \, along with added strain for our veterinary teams.  Our goal is to see 
 all of our pets find their way to a warm and loving home. We need help giv
 ing our shelter pets a break\, including taking them out for a day or a we
 ekend\, while they await the arrival of their new family. We immediately s
 ee an improvement in our pet’s health and happiness when they are in a h
 ome. Plus\, you can provide key insights on the dog or cat’s personality
  (which tends to shine beyond the shelter walls) to share with potential a
 dopters! We are facing a particular need for fosters for our pets that hav
 e medical needs\, are part of an ongoing court case\, and dogs that are la
 rger in size. To find out more and help give our pets a break\, check out 
 our Foster page. 								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n	
 				DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\n									There ar
 e currently 471 dogs at DeKalb County Animal Services\, 253 MORE than the 
 ideal number of dogs that should be housed in our shelter here and putting
  us in the RED ZONE!  The need for special care fosters is imperative. Ce
 rtain pets\, such as those that have just given birth\, are undergoing med
 ical treatment or are part of a court case\, deserve a quiet space and may
  need a little extra care. This can include receiving regular doses of med
 icine\, restricted or regulated exercise regimes or extra space to care fo
 r their puppies. It is important that they have a home where they can rela
 x\, heal and rest stress-free.  								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n			
 			\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\
 n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services			
 	\n				\n				\n				\n									The Fulton County Animal Services shelter is
  in the RED ZONE! There are 265 dogs in the shelter\, an alarming 115 dogs
  over the ideal number of 150. This means some runs have up to five dogs s
 haring a space. As a result\, the shelter is seeing an uptick in medical i
 ssues\, particularly contagious ailments like upper respiratory infections
 .  								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						\n					\n			\n						\
 n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n				\n				\n				\n									In Feb
 ruary 2022\, the LifeLine Community Animal Center brought in 222 pets to h
 elp create space at our two county shelters. 94 dogs and 84 cats are waiti
 ng for a place to call home\, with many more patiently waiting in foster h
 omes. Our animals are showing tremendous resilience\, but we need urgent h
 elp from our community to provide these precious pets with homes! Our miss
 ion remains\, as always\, to save the lives of all healthy and treatable a
 nimals. We appreciate the support of our community! 								\n				\n					\
 n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\
 n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					Help us save lives together!				\n				\n	
 			\n				\n									Share this blog with your community\, and help get mor
 e pets into homes today! 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Ways to Help				
 \n				\n				\n						\n					\n			\n							\n		\n				\n			\n							\n		\n			
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 		\n							\n				January 2022				\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n	
 				\n                \n                    \n                        \n  
                           \n                        \n                    
     \n                    \n                    \n                        
 Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n                   
  \n                \n                \n                    Good amount\n  
                   Dangerously full\n                \n            				\n		
 		\n				\n				\n					\n                \n                    \n           
              \n                            \n                        \n   
                      \n                    \n                    \n       
                  Availability ofkennel space\n                        \n  
                   \n                \n                \n                  
   Good amount\n                    Dangerously full\n                \n   
          				\n				\n				\n				\n									We are kicking off the new year 
 with an unfamiliar sight for this time of the year: shelters that are stil
 l full from this summer. Shelter space is unfortunately\, yet typically\, 
 limited during the summer months\, but this is the first time we have expe
 rienced such a continued strain on our shelter capacity and team. The numb
 er of animals coming in our doors has increased by 12% over last year whil
 e the number of dogs adopted has decreased. People are also struggling to 
 care for their pets and have been facing evictions and other challenges. T
 his means more pets have been surrendered. Over the last two years\, we ha
 ve seen a 39% decline in the number of animals our rescue partners have be
 en able to help pull to safety\, largely due to factors resulting from the
  COVID pandemic. All of these challenges would be difficult alone but\, li
 ke so many others\, we are also facing severe labor shortages. We currentl
 y have 34 open positions across three locations\, which means we are missi
 ng 13% of our workforce. Between the staffing challenge and the number of 
 staff who have been out sick due to the latest wave of the COVID-19 virus\
 , we are struggling. Animal care is always our top priority. Our understaf
 fed teams and volunteers are working doubly hard to care for all the anima
 ls in need\, covering extra shifts and taking on additional responsibiliti
 es. In these times\, we must depend even more so on our community’s supp
 ort. By adopting\, donating\, volunteering\, helping lost animals back hom
 e and finding new homes for those alone in the shelter\, our community off
 ers real and sustained hope for the animals in our care. We are continuing
  to take in animals for emergency situations and for those who do not have
  any other options. Our Animal Service Officers and community support team
 s continue to provide resources\, including access to veterinary care and 
 pet supplies\, pet lost and found assistance and self-rehoming options for
  animals in non-emergency situations. We always work with individuals faci
 ng financial hardship who need help for their pets. We often reduce or wai
 ve reclaim and surrender fees in the hopes of helping people and finding t
 he best outcomes for the animals.  								\n				\n				\n						\n					\n		
 	\n						\n				\n					DeKalb County Animal Services				\n				\n				\n				\
 n									The ideal number of dogs that should be housed at DeKalb County 
 Animal Services is 218. This allows us to house one dog per kennel with ac
 cess to both sides of the kennel. We are currently in the red zone with 48
 0 dogs in the building. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				
 \n																														\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n						
 \n					\n			\n						\n				\n																														\n				\n					\n	
 	\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					Fulton County Animal Services				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									With Fulton County Animal Services being a smaller\, 
 older building\, there is space to optimally house only 150 dogs. As of la
 st week\, there were 221 dogs in the shelter. This forces us to house mult
 iple dogs in most of the kennels. Not only does this make cleaning the she
 lter a logistical challenge\, but it means the environment is less than id
 eal for our animals. Our goal is to safely house a large population while 
 mitigating risk of disease and shelter stress on the animals. If we had fe
 wer dogs in the building\, we could provide larger\, single kennels for 26
  of our larger breed dogs\, who need individual housing\, and who are curr
 ently residing in smaller cages. 								\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n			
 	\n						\n					\n			\n						\n				\n					Community Animal Center				\n			
 	\n				\n				\n									In December 2021\, the LifeLine Community Animal C
 enter transferred in 170 pets from Fulton and DeKalb to help make space at
  the our two county shelters. We currently have 95 dogs and 102 cats looki
 ng for homes\, and even more are waiting to find families while they live 
 in foster homes. 								\n				\n					\n		\n				\n			\n						\n				\n					
 																									\n				\n					\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n							
 		We believe space limitations alone are an unacceptable reason to euthani
 ze healthy and treatable animals. LifeLine has been able to achieve “no-
 kill\,”  saving 90% or more of all the animals who enter our shelters\,
  but we are only able to maintain this lifesaving achievement with the com
 munity’s support and advocacy. We know our community has the ability to 
 provide the support needed to save precious lives.  Their lives depend on
  it. 								\n				\n				\n				\n					Make a difference today!				\n				\n
 				\n				\n									Share this blog post with your community\, and help g
 et more pets into homes today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061439Z
URL:https://lifelineanimal.org/lifeline-events/take-em-home-tuesday-at-lif
 eline-animal-project/2026-09-29/
X-SOURCE-NAME:LifeLine Animal Project
X-SOURCE-URL:https://lifelineanimal.org
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR