DeKalb County commissioners approve expanded animal control staff, purchase of spay, neuter vehicle

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A recent vote by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners saw budget requests approved for the county’s animal services department.

Among the items approved, Animal Services will be getting raises for staff, an increased number of officers by 2025 and the purchase of a vehicle for spay-and-neuter mobile services.

County officials said the budget approvals were significant, and were made at the request of Commissioner Michelle Long Spears.

“I am deeply grateful to the Board of Commissioners for approving these critical budget requests,” Commissioner Long Spears said after the July 9 vote. “With these funds, DeKalb County will be better equipped to address the concerns of our constituents, particularly around animal services. This is a significant step forward for our community, and I am committed to ensuring that these resources are used effectively to improve the lives of both our residents and our animals.”

In addition to the staffing updates and mobile spay-and-neuter vehicle, the county also allocated funds for veterinary services to also perform mobile spay-and-neuter surgeries.

The county also approved funds for “veterinarian/vet tech support to conduct community spay-and-neuter surgeries on Saturdays, and a court dog coordinator to address the issue of court dogs remaining in the DeKalb County Animal Services center for undesirably long periods.”