Fulton County Animal Services staff are overwhelmed with the number of intakes its facility is experiencing this summer.
Why it matters: Despite opening a 50,000-square-foot facility late last year, a spike in the number of animals coming into the new shelter means it's running low on space.
- "It's been crowded since day one," Erica Beard, director of client services for LifeLine Animal Project, which manages the Fulton and Dekalb shelters, tells Axios.
Zoom in: Beard says intake numbers usually rise in the summer, particularly after the Fourth of July when pets frightened by fireworks run away from home.
- However, the situation is dire because the shelter is also dealing with "low outcomes" for animals — meaning that fewer animals are being adopted, fostered, transferred to rescue groups or returned home.
- "It's just been a recipe for disaster here with us," Beard says.
By the numbers: Fulton Animal Services took in 917 animals in July, which is the second highest intake in a month LifeLine has seen in 11 years, Beard tells Axios.
- That includes 550 dogs, 344 cats plus animals like goats, guinea pigs and chickens.
- So far this month, the shelter has taken in 200 dogs, 118 cats and four goats.
The big picture: Many people feel compelled to surrender their pets after losing their jobs or homes, often coming to the shelter in tears as a last resort, Beard tells Axios.
Threat level: Legally, the shelter can hold a pet without any tags, microchip or other identifying information for three days before considering euthanasia and seven days for pets whose owners can be identified.
- However, Beard says they will only euthanize animals at the shelter over factors like aggressive behavior or terminal illness.
LifeLine does have a program called Friendly Finder, which encourages people who find strays to keep them in their care while checking in with neighbors to see if they are missing any pets.
- A lot of lost animals are found within a mile or less from their home, Beard tells Axios.
- "So we're really encouraging the community to take a little bit of ownership on that," Beard says, adding that chances of reunification drop significantly once a pet enters the shelter.
How to help: The shelter is making all pet adoptions free through Sept. 10. Visit the website for details .
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